TREE PROTECTION GUIDELINES

After the decisions have been made as to which trees are to be removed for the development and the associated needs (roads, trenches etc.), the following actions should be taken. These need to be done before any demolition or construction begins.

1) Contract with an I.S.A. Certified Arborist or Consulting Arborist to guide in the decisions.

2) Mark and identify all trees on a site plan, including trunk diameters and drip line areas that indicate the root area of the trees. Often this is more than the drip line.

3) Mark each tree that is to be removed with paint to avoid any possible mistakes.

4) Obtain permits for tree removals as per that city or county ordinance.

5) Remove all the trees and grind the stumps, leave chips from this process for mulch. Dump chips near the bases of the trees which are to remain.

6) Do all pruning which is applicable for the time of the year. All work is to be done according to I.S.A. guidelines for proper pruning standards.

7) Spread the woodchips or other appropriate mulch eight to ten inches over the root zone of all the remaining trees. This will help protect the trees during the construction and aid in water retention.

8) Fence around each tree to be protected with a sturdy temporary fence. This will keep the equipment out of the root zone, prevent workers from storing or spilling materials and aid in determining your route for trenches, roads and any other needs for the development. The fence will be installed out to the drip line where possible. When this is not possible, and part of the root zone will be impacted, protecting the remaining roots is imperative. Watering and deep root fertilizing of the area to be impacted, prior to the damage, often helps the tree to offset the root loss. This is generally effective unless there is extensive root loss. The degree of acceptable root loss should be determined by an arborist with instructions for proper root severance.