When I started out in this business in the late 80’s and the majority of the men on my one crew proudly displayed a “mullet” hairdo, tree removal permitting laws were few and far between.
We now find ourselves in 2019 and many local governments have developed and implemented tree removal restrictions within their boundaries. With this comes the question of whether or not these new laws or ordinances are truly meant to preserve the urban canopy. We have received many a verbal lashing from a homeowner when we advise them that in order to remove a tree, that is otherwise healthy, they must first obtain a permit from their local government. Dead and hazardous trees are rarely a problem when it comes to the granting of a permit or waiver.
When asked my opinion on these laws my answer is always the same. I truly believe in my soul that if we were to continue to indiscriminately cut down trees for no other reason than “I don’t like the leaves in my gutter”, we would be in a lot of trouble. If you read my newsletter last month I spoke of the many benefits of trees and how they improve the quality of our lives. Without trees, our very existence would be in peril.
When I talk to customers I understand and I feel what it is that they are saying when they tell me that a tree or trees on their property makes them nervous. After the most recent storm a couple of weeks ago where many trees in the metro area ended up on the roofs of homes, people were concerned. I have met with many homeowners who are of the opinion to just “cut them all down”. This is simply something that we cannot do. If a tree makes you “nervous” call us, we will come out and take a look and do the best we can to determine if the tree is in fact a hazard. Vinny and I are both I.S.A. Certified Tree Risk Assessors and I feel as though we have the ability to advise you on the structural integrity of a tree.
Thanks for reading and we will see you next month.
John
