Owners and managers of a space with trees have a responsibility to care for and conserve this wildlife. They owe a duty of care for staff and other visitors who work or who frequent the property. This responsibility can be fulfilled with regular inspection and service of the trees on a site. This should be accomplished by qualified and professional tree care and management services. Expert inspectors can make accurate assessments of tree health and safety and make recommendations for necessary work.
Tree Inspection Systems
Good inspection systems include assessments of all aspects of tree management. This may include recommendations, inspection dates, works, and other related incidents. The provision of tree inspections should not be done by the same people providing professional tree services. This ensures the quality of work is not compromised or brought into question in any way.
In addition, separating these services means managers won’t just be appeasing health and safety concerns that tree size or placement may cause. It’ll also help improve the running and conditions of the site. Work will include, for instance, crown lifting and reduction for the purpose of clearing up pathways and roads, as well as tree removal for opening up views of a landscape.
Tree professionals that work for a company on a long term basis have the capacity to identify the problems that may arise at a specific time of the year. The emergence of fungal fruiting bodies and fallen branches, for example, does not happen year-round. But it’s important that managers realize that no tree can be considered completely safe and may pose health, safety, and aesthetic concerns.
Frequency of Tree Inspections
Trees can be inspected on a range of frequencies, depending on where they are and how often the area is used. Very old trees in areas with high foot traffic and a historical significance may have to be inspected maybe even more than once a year. On the other hand, younger trees that are in good health and located in areas less frequently visited may only need inspection once every few years.
Tree Services
The owner or manager of a space should take the recommendations of a tree inspector seriously. They need to maintain awareness and an understanding of the landscape, cultural, and ecological implications that tree services may have on a place.
The general presumption they are operating under should have a focus on retaining trees, especially those that are older and have greater historical significance. There are several techniques that a service may use to reduce or mitigate the potential risks a tree may pose to staff and visitors. These solutions include making a tree inaccessible or using crown reduction, thinning, cable bracing, or propping. Removal of trees should only be considered as a final option if no other solution is found feasible or appropriate.
Replanting
Sites that engage in tree removal or services that limit the growth of trees should consider planting new trees in their property. It’s important that landscapes contain multiple generations of trees, and that there be no gaps in terms of age class. Because of the value that trees and woodlands bring to the character of the site, creating arrangements for succession planting is crucial for the continuity of tree cover.