NATCHEZ — Starting next week approximately 50 hazardous trees will be addressed at Melrose, part of the Natchez National Historical Park.

“Our biggest priority is making the area safe,” said park superintendent Kathleen Bond. “I’m not opposed to having big trees, but I’m opposed to big trees that could fall on top of our visitors. We got (an expert) assessment done on which trees need to be cleaned up and are acting off that list.”

The project is expected to treat trees ranging 50 feet to 150 feet tall that have developed defects from lightning or natural factors that present safety concerns in areas where visitors drive, park or walk. Depending on the condition of the trees, some of them may only require pruning while others may have to be cut down, Bond said.

Treatment is expected to take between 30 and 90 days, she said, depending on weather conditions, while work will primarily be done on weekdays.

The Natchez National Historical Park personnel typically cleans up the trees in the 80-acre Melrose landscape every few years. The service decided it was best to start tending to the trees now because of a grant they just received.

“We applied for a grant from the National Park Service and that money just came through,” Bond said. “So that’s the main reason why we are starting the clean up.”

Tree work will begin at the front gate of Melrose and work up the entrance drive, Bond said. During the first couple of weeks of the project visitor traffic will be directed to use the back entrance through the Melrose maintenance gate, which is the white wooden gate near the railroad tracks that cross Melrose-Montebello Parkway.

“It’s not the most scenic route because it’s the maintenance entrance,” Bond said. “But it’s the best option for visitor safety and it’s only temporary. Once work is completed near and around the front gate, that will be reopened for visitors to go through.”

Visitors are asked to exercise caution on the one-lane drive.