|
Tree Assessment is Wise Risk Management
By: Marty Shaw |
For all the beauty and character that trees lend to a town, development project or other public space, they also can cause great concern and potential liability when their condition becomes questionable. Municipal risk managers face the responsibility and challenge of reducing the risk of aging or diseased trees that may injure people or damage property.
Preemptively chopping down healthy trees is not the best solution to managing this risk. However, legal risks associated with maintaining trees can prove substantial. Several courts around the country have held property owners responsible for tree hazards that they may-or may not-have known about.
Marty Shaw is a Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA) who can sort out the risks associated with the trees in your public spaces. As the most authoritative experts on tree care issues, RCAs undergo intensive training and skills development to earn the industry's highest professional designation.
In a comprehensive tree risk assessment, the RCA can measure tree damage and evaluate tree health and risk factors to recommend which trees to sacrifice and which to salvage. In most cases, visual examination of the tree roots, trunk, branches and leaves is adequate. In a high-risk situation or one where defects are suspected but not readily seen, the RCA may conduct an indepth tree assessment using specialized tools and techniques.
Typically, the risk assessment includes a ranking of the assessed trees on the property ranging from low- to high-risk. If a serious tree hazard is identified, immediate removal is warranted to avoid danger. Trees that exceed a reasonable risk of possible failure in the future also are identified and should receive prompt corrective action.
When no immediate danger is posed, tree defects can be addressed through corrective maintenance, such as pruning of defective branches. If an aging tree is of special historical or landscaping value, cabling or bracing can be employed to help it remain secure. Other recommended maintenance may include watering, mulching and pest control.
Even a trained expert cannot predict with complete certainty whether a tree will fail or continue to grow and thrive. Extreme weather conditions may cause tree failure, and even the most thorough assessment may not uncover internal defects in a tree with a healthy and structurally sound appearance.
Consulting with Marty to monitor new plantings or young trees can provide an early opportunity to shape trees to prevent problems from the outset. He can also provide tree value appraisals and offer expert legal testimony in cases regarding tree issues. What's more, he can even help you develop policies and procedures for dealing with potentially hazardous trees, and train your staff to properly detect and correct common tree hazards, as well as, other maintenance tasks.
The payoffs of effective tree management include healthier and longer-living trees, lower landscaping costs, and most importantly, fewer tree-related accidents and injuries - that results in reduced risks, fewer claims and less liability.
Marty Shaw, is an Arboricultural Expert specializing in Plant & Tree Issues. His extensive experience and training can help solve the most complex tree issues including tree safety policy, insurance claims and personal injury cases. He is a plant and tree diagnostician who has many years of land planning, nursery, landscape design, installation and maintenance experience.
©Copyright - All Rights Reserved
DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION BY AUTHOR.
