Tree Board?

[Kneejerk Bombas]

"a wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another"

If this doesn't hurt, then there's something wrong with you:

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?postid=15518

Most people that work on trees, unfortunately, don't know how to do it properly, this goes for professionals as well. The tree board is stopping idiots from wrecking trees, thus hurting others.

 

[Treeman14]

Re: Topping pic

I see what you mean, Mike. That forked lead on the left should have been taken back a couple more feet to even up the crown. Some people just DON'T know how to top a tree. We can only hope they had enough sense to apply a high N fertilizer afterward to stimulate a lush new canopy.

 

[Newfie]

Stumper,

Yup, I agree, I was thinking about this yesterday while cutting. (great time to ponder the world) I guess besides apathy our society has become plagued by extremisim. Not many in power seem to be willing to compromise. They claim it is a compromise of their ethics and values but that is a lot of BS.

I am all for intelligent use of our resources, but this arbitrary "enviromental fascism" that plagues us is no good.

Hey matt, at least you are dealing with someone who is in theory, educated on the topic. Maybe that will make it easier to negotiate. Are the trees on the property itself or in the roadside easement? ( most are 10 feet )

 

[treeman82]

Mike, the trees are on the guy's property. However don't forget that the towns usually own out from the center of the road x feet. I called the people to find out what those x feet were, cause the town rules what you do to trees in those x feet from the center of the road. I know some towns is 20 feet, other towns are different.

 

[Stumper]

Mike Maas, The topping pic is definitely a groaner, but I'm sure you understand that Jefferson meant 'real' injury i.e. rape , robbery,, or the reduction to fertilizer of one's fellow citizens. Freedom to regulate one 's own improvements means that if some nincompoop thinks topping his tree is an 'improvement' it is his tree and he can make the rules about it.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

This discussion is going towards comparing tree work to electrical or plumbing work, where a licensed professional needs a permit to do his work. I think it depends if the community values their trees enough. But before we can even talk about whether or not this is unfair, we should know if the tree is on the easement, or if the rules about the trees where in place at the time he bought the property.

Imagine someone saying, "I wanted to live in this beautiful community, with all the cedar shake roofs, but now that I need to replace <I>my</I> roof, who the hell are they to tell me I can only put on a cedar shake roof?"

Oh, Stumper, the arborist who did that "topping" as you called it, said that was a "crown thinning".

 

[Stumper]

Mike Maas, Well I have to admit that the crown was pretty dang thin. The sad thing about such rotten "tree care" is that it seems to be self perpetuating-The guy down the street says "Shoot, I can do that." and another tree gets butchered.

 

[RobWok]

Treeman82,
The town does not necessarily own x feet onto your property. They own a right of way / easment that is X feet wide. The road goes down that easment. If the road is down the middle of the easment, then they do own X onto each persons property. In may cases, though the road is not down the middle so the distance they own onto a persons property varies by the way the road is configured compared with the easment. (Does that make sense?)
I know this because the town came out to a relatives house, and told them they had to remove a pretty old maple because it was starting to rot and overhung the road. This tree was no more than 3 feet off of the road, but becasue the road was crooked on the easment, the tree was on his property and was responsible for having it removed, meanwhile the very next house had the same problem, but the tree was a good 6 feet off the road. Town took that one, no charge.
My point is, if you have any question about the towns boundary, I would go to the town hall and find out how the easment is laid out. Do NOT go by the X feet from the curb rule.

Hope that helps,

 

[tester]

upgrade your vbulletin to a newer version, you can have your accounts hijacked with malicious code (search cross-site vulnerability vbulletin)

 

[trees4life]

What I think many people don't understand is that due to past practice, certain by-law & regulation are put in place for the overall good of the community.

It is recognized that to have a healthy City, it needs to be supported by a healthy urban forest. We know trees absorb carbon, and carbon is a health threat. We need trees to help remove carbon. The larger the City, the more trees required.

A lot of developers want to clear cut instead of protecting trees because it is easier & cheaper to re-grade the entire site. They can also get more residential lots & make more money. By-laws in many municipalities have or are being developed to protect trees on private property.

In regards to pruning, we all know there are people out there that own chainsaws and call themselves arborists. Very often they don't know anything about tree biology or physiology. Topping trees because they are 'too tall' has been a common practice. I know Toronto has a by-law that requires a permit if pruning to be performed is not being done in accordance with good arboricultural practices. Pruning for public safety and/or tree health does not require a permit in Toronto.

I've read extensively on the subject, and while it may seem extreme, municipalites feel that for the overall health and well being of the residents, some regulations are required. I agree some by-laws are too rigid for the individual home owner, but I'd rather see regulations to save trees than let everyone do what they want. I hate to say it, but if the government doesn't step in to help save the environment, who will?

 

[geofore]

Tree Board

Of the more than 20,000 new homes to go up around here you can tell the yuppies from the older folks. A yuppie has the lot cleared down to removing the grass and plants new trees and rolls out the correct yuppie sod. They have this belief that if a tree is over 30 years old it can't be trusted.Never seen any thing so looney. The contractors say it is easier to build on a vaccant lot.If I cut more than a few trees on a property the ower has to garrentee he will replant trees or I stop cutting.
Do any of you go out and plant trees??? I hear about cutting but little about planting. Folks used to call me Tree Planter George because on weekends I plant trees on old spoil banks, something we have lots of in PA. In my lifetime I have planted more trees than I have cut.
As for the government, remember when it was the rule to stop forrest fires? A bit of research and lo and behold the forrests need fires to grow properly. All things take time and the trees I plant today, some will out live me.

 

[Newfie]

Robwok,

Determination of roadside easement varies by jurisdiction. Each municipality has its own set of by-laws to determine easement. The most common approach in my area is 10 feet from the curb. You own it and maintain it, but it is there's to fiddle around with as they see fit. It is always spelled out in the title search at the time of closing so it should never be a surprise to the homeowner. just one of the hassles we must endure to protect ourselves from each other. It just seems that common sense left the equation long ago when people decide that common sense and responsibility needed to be legislated.

 

[RobWok]

Mike,
I agree, that is a pretty good rule of thumb I think. Most roads are built down the middle of the easment anyway. But it sounded to me like a dispute may be brewing, in which case I was just trying to say that it may be worth checking so you know exactly "where you stand", so to speak.
I also find it somewhat laughable that you have the "privilege" of maintaining it, paying additional taxes on a sidewalk if present etc. all until the town or city decides they want to take it from you.

 

[PETER GIBBS]

Tree Police

if you want to prune a tree and it involves the tree police invite them round at their convienece to look at the trees. dealing with it on the phone is a painful waste of time