Public flora severely affected; officials assess destruction, plan clean-up.

The city's Tree City USA designation is a source of pride for leaders and residents, but with a few more weeks like last week Broken Arrow may qualify as a treeless city.

Trees and shrubs populating city parks and public spaces were hit hard by last week's ice storm, officials say.

Parks officials began surveying the damage in the wake of the Dec. 9-10 storm and have begun planning their response.

"The damage is substantial," Parks Director Scott Esmond said. "It's hard to say now what percentage of our trees have been lost, but I'd say 98 to 100 percent have been affected in some way."

Esmond, who worked previously for the Tulsa Parks Department, said the ice storm is the worst the area has experienced since the 1980s as far as damage to plant life.

The department's first priority will be removing broken or dangling limbs that could pose a danger to park users, he said.

A full-scale clean-up effort will then follow, with crews going from park to park, starting with those most used and hardest hit.

Pruning of surviving trees will follow over the next several months, he said.

Ray Harral Nature Park, the city's most tree-plentiful park and site of a soon-to-be-built nature center, was one of the first parks Esmond visited after the storm.

"It is severely impacted," he said, adding that initial efforts will focus on ensuring park trails are safe for visitors.

Esmond said some fallen trees will be left to serve as habitats for park wildlife.

Central Park also experienced severe tree damage and will be one of the first targeted for clean-up, he said.

Although the department will be dealing with the storm's effects for many months to come, Esmond is optimistic the clean-up effort will make a visible difference by spring.

"When the city greens up this spring, the area should look amazingly good," he said.

The department plants new trees every year and most planted in 2007 survived the storm, Esmond said.

"We planted about 75 this year. Surprisingly, most have held up very well," he said. "We've lost some, but the younger trees don't accumulate as much ice."

City officials ask that residents steer clear of the parks until crews make sure they are safe.

In the meantime, Esmond encourages families looking for recreational opportunities to visit the city's two community centers.