COEUR d'ALENE - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is requiring the city of Coeur d'Alene to remove around 500 trees along Dike Road over the next two years.

The order, issued in March after the department studied maintenance and safety protocol along a number of dikes, levies and embankments nationally following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is to take safety precautions in light of flooding during a natural disaster.

"This isn't just a rule thing, this is a dike safety issue," said Gordon Dobler, city engineer. "They're not saying 'follow the rules for the rules' sake,' it really is a dike safety issue that hasn't been focused on in the past but is certainly in the spotlight now."

The affected area will stretch along Rosenberry Drive, known as Dike Road, near the Spokane River and North Idaho College. It will stretch about 1,200 lineal feet from the intersection of Hubbard Street and Lakeshore Drive to River Avenue and Dike Road, while clearing around 15 feet on the college side of the road, and 25 feet on the river side.

"There are plenty of trees outside of the embankment on the beach, on NIC's property, so it won't in any means be denuded, but yeah, there are going to be less trees," Dobler said.

Army Corps of Engineers representatives couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

A majority of the trees are ponderosa pines, about 12 inches in diameter. Many are smaller than that, but some are 24 inches in diameter or larger.

The city has since been in contact with the department, and negotiating isn't an option.

"They're telling us there's really no wavering," Dobler said.

Federal funds won't be available. Funding will come from city coffers, around $50,000 over the two years if the city is able to do the project itself. If it has to contract out, it could be more.

Dikes are embankments that hold back water levels, breach of which flood nearby properties. The protected Coeur d'Alene area is the Fort Ground neighborhood, north to the Harbor Center.

Dobler said the department's request surprised him since the Army Corps of Engineers routinely inspects city properties, and didn't say anything about the vegetation issue during its last visit in September 2009.

Grass will replace the vegetation.

Dobler will present a 2-year mitigation plan Monday, July 25 to the city's Public Works Committee. The subcommittee would recommends approval or denial of the plan to the City Council.