DAP9523.11 

FEMA 

DISASTER ASSISTANCE POLICY 

I. TITLE: Hazardous Stump Extraction and Removal Eligibility 
II. DATE: MAY 1 5 2007 
Ill. PURPOSE: 

Establish criteria used to reimburse applicants for removing eligible hazardous stumps from 
public or, where authorized, private property. 

IV. SCOPE AND AUDIENCE: 
The policy is applicable to all major disasters and emergencies declared on or after the date of 
publication. It is intended for all personnel involved in the administration and execution of the 
Public Assistance Program, including applicants. 

V. AUfHORITY: 
Sections 403 and 407 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 

U.s.c. 5121-5206, as amended. 
VI. BACKGROUND: 
Public Assistance regulations authorize reimbursement for the removal of debris from public 
and private land when it is in the public interest. Such removal is in the public interest when it 
is necessary to: eliminate immediate threats to life, public health and safety, or eliminate 
immediate threats of significant damage to improved public or private property; or to ensure 
economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community at large. Trees 
that are uprooted during a disaster event such that all or part of their roots are exposed may 
pose an immediate threat to public health and safety. 

VII. POLICY: 
A. When a disaster event uproots a tree or stump (Le., 50% or more of root ball is exposed) 
on a public right-of-way, improved public property or improved property owned by certain 
private nonprofit organizations, and the exposed root ball poses an immediate threat to life, 
public health and safety, FEMA may provide supplemental assistance to remove, transport, 
dispose, and provide fill for the root cavity of an eligible uprooted tree or stump. The Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will reimburse applicants reasonable costs for this 
type of work only when uprooted stumps are more than 24 inches in diameter (measured two 
feet from the ground), with the consensus of the Applicant and the State, and is approved in 

DAP9523.11 

FEMA 

DISASTER ASSISTANCE POLICY 

advance by FEMA, using the attached Hazardous Stump Worksheet. 

1. If it is necessary to remove an uprooted stump before it can be inspected by FEMA 
because it poses a threat that must be dealt with immediately, the applicant must submit 
documentation, to FEMA including photographs, that establishes its location on public 
property, specifics on the threat, stump diameter measured two feet up the trunk from the 
ground, quantity of material to fill the hole, and any special circumstances. 
2. FEMA will reimburse applicants for extraction, transport and disposal of stumps 
with a diameter of 24 inches or smaller at the unit cost rate for regular vegetative debris, using 
the attached Stump Conversion Table, as such stumps do not require special equipment. 
3. FEMA will reimburse applicants at the unit cost rate (usually cubic yards) for normal 
debris removal for all stumps, regardless of size, placed on the rights-of-way by others (Le., 
contractors did not extract them from public property or property of eligible Private Non Profit 
organization). In such instances, applicants do not incur additional cost to remove these stumps 
because the same equipment that is used to pick up "regular" debris can be used to pick-up 
these stumps. 
4. If an applicant incurs additional costs in picking up large stumps (over 24 inches in 
diameter) from rights-of-way, it should complete the Hazardous Stump Worksheet and present 
documentation to FEMA in advance for consideration. 
5. Stumps with less than 50% of their root ball exposed should be cut flush at ground 
level and the cut portion included with regular vegetative debris. 
6. Straightening or bracing of trees is eligible for reimbursement if it is less costly than 
removal and disposal. Applicant must provide a cost analysis showing cost effectiveness. 
VIII. ORIGINATING OFFICE: Disaster Assistance Directorate (Public Assistance Division) 
IX. SUPERSESSION: This policy supersedes Recovery Policy Number 9523.11, Hazard 
Stump Removal and Extraction Eligibility dated May 6, 2006. 
x. REVIEW DATE: ~:rec~ea~~~~rnth
Th~y~rsfro~~e~~~~d~~r~--___ 

Davi 


mg Assistant Administrator 
Disaster Assistance Directorate 


Hazardous Stump Worksheet 

Applicant: __________________________________________________ 
Applicant Representative: ______________________________________ 
FEMA Representative (if available) ______________________________ 
State Representative (if available):________________________________ 

Date: ________________ 
Signature: ____________________________________________________ 
Signature: ____________________________________________________ 
Signature: ____________________________________________________ 

Physical Location 
(i.e., Street address, road, cross 
streets, etc.) 
Description 
of Facility 
(ROW, Park, 
City Hall, etc.) 
Hazard 
GPS 
(decimal degrees, 
00.000000) Tree Size 
(Diameter) 
Eligible Fill For 
Debris 
Stumps 
Comments 
(See attached sketch, 
photo, etc.) 
Yes No 
Latitude 
(N) 
Longitude 
(W) Yes No CY 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 


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Diameter to Volume Capacity 

The quantification of the cubic yards of debris for each size of stump in the following table was derived from FEMA field studies conducted 
throughout the State of Florida during the debris removal operations following Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. The following 
formula is used to derive cubic yards: 

[(Stump Diameter2 x 0.7854) x Stump Length] + [(Root Ball Diameter2 x 0.7854) x Root Ball Height] 
46656 

0.7854 is one-fourth Pi and is a constant. 
46656 is used to convert cubic inches to cubic yards and is a constant 


The formula used to calculate the cubic yardage used the following factors, based upon findings in the field: 


• 
Stump diameter measured two feet up from ground 
• 
Stump diameter to root ball diameter ratio of 1:3.6 
• 
Root ball height of 31” 
Stump Diameter 
(Inches) 
6 
Debris Volume 
(Cubic Yards) 
0.3 
Stump Diameter 
(Inches) 
46 
Debris Volume 
(Cubic Yards) 
15.2 
7 0.4 47 15.8 
8 0.5 48 16.5 
9 0.6 49 17.2 
10 0.7 50 17.9 
11 0.9 51 18.6 
12 1 52 19.4 
13 1.2 53 20.1 
14 1.4 54 20.9 
15 1.6 55 21.7 
16 1.8 56 22.5 
17 2.1 57 23.3 
18 2.3 58 24.1 
19 2.6 59 24.9 
20 2.9 60 25.8 
21 3.2 61 26.7 
22 3.5 62 27.6 
23 3.8 63 28.4 
24 4.1 64 29.4 
25 4.5 65 30.3 
26 4.8 66 31.2 
27 5.2 67 32.2 
28 5.6 68 33.1 
29 6 69 34.1 
30 6.5 70 35.1 
31 6.9 71 36.1 
32 7.3 72 37.2 
33 7.8 73 38.2 
34 8.3 74 39.2 
35 8.8 75 40.3 
36 9.3 76 41.4 
37 9.8 77 42.5 
38 10.3 78 43.6 
39 10.9 79 44.7 
40 11.5 80 45.9 
41 12 81 47 
42 12.6 82 48.2 
43 13.3 83 49.4 
44 13.9 84 50.6 
45 14.5