WIDOW MAKER: This image taken after the storm that hit earlier this month shows the damage caused to the gum tree that blocked this Beach Haven driveway.

Sarah Argyle

TOWERING PROBLEM: Craig Newth cant understand why the council wont allow him to remove a tree that towers 25 metres above his house.

Every time the wind blows Craig Newth and his family worry what will happen to a 25 metre gum tree that towers over their house.

Is there a tree causing you grief? Email us at newstips@stuff.co.nz

The Beach Haven, Auckland, resident says he doesn't understand why the council won't allow it to be removed.

Because their property is exposed to wind, the family's nerves are frayed.

Newth says gum trees, also known as widow makers, are notorious for dropping limbs.

A council arborist, Vector worker and private arborist have all on separate occasions said the branches from the tree could injure someone and it should be removed, he says.

But when Newth approached the council they told him resource consent was needed and then declined it on more than one occasion.

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Family fear the widow maker

At the Nov. 26 meeting of the Montvale Mayor and Council, a draft ordinance to preserve borough trees in certain residential zones was presented to the governing body.

Robert Hanrahan, chairman of the borough's Tree Ordinance Committee and its Environmental Commission, presented the draft, which calls for a reduction in clear-cutting of borough trees. Exemptions include tree pruning and cutting down trees that may endanger public safety, according to the draft.

Hanrahan said in the past 10 years, other committees were formed and consisted of borough residents who were either proponents of the ordinance or had reservations about it. The idea, he said, died on a vine after budget constraints held it back from fruition. Now, with a draft ordinance in place, Hanrahan said he hopes "to maintain traction to some point of closure" on the idea.

"If we could eliminate the indiscriminate removal of trees, I would be happy with the effort," Hanrahan said.

Mid-year, Council President Leah LaMonica, who is the committee liaison, approached the council about forming a Shade Tree Committee, and advised them that a team consisting of five borough residents were putting together a draft tree ordinance. At that time, she said the goal was to get something on the books that would replenish trees that were felled.

In the draft ordinance, the committee proposes placing restrictions on the number of trees residents are allowed to cut down in a 12-month period. The draft proposes that residents in single-family residential zones R-10, R-15, and R-40 - which comprise the majority of residential zones, according to Hanrahan - would be permitted to apply for a permit, a $35 cost, to remove three, four and five trees, respectively. For each tree after that, the resident would have the option of paying $500 per tree or replacing it. Funds collected will go to costs associated with tree replacement and planting within the town, according to the proposed ordinance.

Hanrahan said the proposed tree limit schedule was based on what the committee believed to be the maximum number of trees removed from a parcel in each zone per year. This, he said, was determined given the size of the zones, R-10, being a quarter acre or 10,000 square feet in size; R-15, a third of an acre or 15,000 square feet; and R-40, roughly one acre or 40,000 square feet.

Hanrahan said the committee worked with Jeffrey Fette, who is Montvale's construction official and conversed with borough residents to conjure those statistics. Additionally, he said the draft was reviewed by Planning Board member Wolfgang Vogt, who is also environmental commission chair in the borough. The group also looked at other tree ordinances throughout the Garden State, including Oakland, Englewood, Township of River Vale and Upper Saddle River.

"[We] all felt it was a fair number that wouldn't put any undo hardship on a typical homeowner," said Hanrahan.

With the draft, Hanrahan said the committee plans to start with those three zones, as they comprise the majority of residential zones. Other entries, he said, may be added to cover other zones. While the ordinance solely pertains to tree removal from residential properties, he said most of the other commercial zones in the borough are covered by other zoning ordinances. According to the draft ordinance, removal of trees protected by the zoning ordinance, or any other state, local or federal law, is prohibited.

Continue reading here:
Draft of tree ordinance presented to Montvale Mayor and Council

Local residents not yet acquainted with the emerald ash borer bug, know this theyre already here.

The small, metallic, non-native beetle invaded the United States about 12 years ago and is on its way to eating the countrys ash tree population into extinction.

Probably all of them are going to be gone within the next few years, Minookas Public Works Superintendent Rob Tonarelli said of the villages ash trees.

The ash borer is a small green beetle that lays its eggs between the crevices of tree bark.

When the eggs hatch, ash borer larvae burrow into the tree, eating their way to the trees inner bark and phloem. By doing this, the borers essentially cut off the trees circulation, making it impossible for it to transport water and nutrients throughout its branches.

According to Tonarelli, Minooka has about 750 ash trees growing in parkways and parks throughout the village, and thats not including the numerous residential-owned trees.

Last year alone, Minooka public works removed about 100 ash trees because of EAB infestations. Tonarelli estimated the removal costs at about $30,000, but he anticipates spending another $60,000 in the coming year as the infestation seems to be spreading.

Finding and planting suitable replacement trees will only compound the mitigation costs.

Were likely going to exceed what we have budgeted this year for tree removal, Tonarelli said.

As of 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture detected EAB epidemics in 20 states, including Illinois, leading the Agriculture Department of to brand the bug as an extremely destructive beetle that poses an enormous threat to North Americas ash resources in the most recent USDA report on the insect.

More:
County not immune to ash borer bug

No. Dont top your live oak or any other hardwood tree such as a black olive or mahogany. A tree sometimes needs to be pruned to avoid interference with utility lines, buildings, or parts of the surrounding environment. Whenever pruning is required, it is important to avoid the practice of topping the removal of all parts of a tree above a certain height with no consideration for its structure or health. Long thought to reduce a hazard, topping is a temporary and ineffective solution that actually makes a tree more hazardous in the long run.

Topping starves trees by robbing them of their food-creating leaves.

Topped trees, in an act of defense, create shoots that grow quickly (up to 20 feet in one year) and are more prone to breaking.

Topping also makes trees more susceptible to insects and disease.

Topping creates high maintenance trees that are expensive to treat, repair, and care for. Hurricane tree-trimming basics for hardwood trees

Reduction pruning is an effective alternative to topping. It reduces the size of longer branches by cutting back to a lateral branch. Some branches are removed at their point of origin.

Avoid excessive thinning of interior branches. It can lead to rapid growth of upright interior shoots and limb breakage.

The best way to learn to manage tree growth and maintain tree health is to consult a Certified Arborist. These tree care professionals know how to safely prune trees, and they can couch you as a homeowner how to best maintain and care for them throughout the year.

Ron von Paulus is an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist (ID # Fl- 5770A) and has more than 20 years experience working with trees in South Florida. He offers free consultations to homeowners and businesses. He can be reached at Big Rons Tree Service 305-588-3091 or by email at ron@BigRonsTreeService.com

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Original post:
My Lawn Man wants to top my Live Oak Tree for the STORM SEASON. Should I have him do this?

Tree Removal 2 - Slacks

By: Michele Eade

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Tree Removal 2 - Slacks - Video

Updated: 06/18/2014 7:27 PM Created: 06/18/2014 7:19 PM WHEC.com

Not only did Tuesdays storms take down power lines, but many people lost trees right in their own yards.

Pockets of Monroe, Genesee and Orleans counties experienced Mother Natures wrath as a large line of severe thunderstorms swept across the area. In some cases, wind gusts were over 50 mph.

The winds in Fairport were so strong that some homeowners trees came crashing down right into their homes. That was the case for Mark Sambuchi as thunderstorms ripped through his Gateway Road neighborhood. Hell be cleaning up the damage for days, but he and his family were not hurt.

A lot to do, but it could have been worse. We didnt lose power, and nobody was hurt, so thats the real key. We did get shaken up. They were pretty traumatized. To just be sitting there, and then have a tree just show up. They were a little scared, said Sambuchi.

The thunderstorm damage also means a lot of work for people like Tony Bartucca who owns Tonys Tree and Landscaping.

Weve got crews scattered all over the country. Weve had crews working throughout the night getting trees off of houses. We had trees split houses in half and take houses off foundations. It was enormous, said Bartucca.

Bartucca says he deals with homeowners and their emergencies all the time, but theres more to the cleanup than meets the eye. Getting rid of downed trees and debris immediately after the storm is one thing, but addressing additional problems that can result well after the storm is another. Those issues can be just as significant as a downed tree, but not always as obvious.

Its very imperative not just to look out and say hey, theres no damage in my backyard, but to also look up and see if there are any hanging limbs up there, said Bartucca.

A little prevention can really be worthwhile when it comes to taking care of the trees in your yard before, during and after a storm.

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Tree removal continues for many residents affected by Tuesday's storms

The straight-line winds that crashed through Wilton, Iowa Tuesday morning have stumped residents.

Dozens of homeowners awoke Tuesday morning to the sight of trees draping their yards. The powerful storm snapped limbs like twigs.

I havent seen winds like this in years, John Hillman said who has lived in his Wilton home since 1958.

Hillmans home is surrounded by sycamore trees that tower more than 40 feet high. After Tuesdays storm hurled tree limbs that damaged his home, he decided it was time to cut them down.

Thats good news for tree-removal businesses like JLB and Son Services.

We have been busy from seven in the morning until eight at night, said Tammy Bennet of JLB and Son Services.

Many residents had the same idea as Hillman.

Its a big job. We are still on it and this is our third day, Bennet exclaimed.

Bennets crew has a full schedule. As they continue to cut down trees from disgruntled residents whose homes were damaged after the storm, they are also clearing debris that was left behind.

Crews say the cleanup is likely to continue for several days.

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Tree-removal companies stay swamped after storms

The former vacation spot for President Herbert Hoover in Shenandoah National Park that was in danger of collapsing under the weight of an oak is now free from its clutches.

Before presidents had Camp David, Hoover vacationed at the Brown House in Rapidan Camp. The house was built around the tree. It had a hole in the deck for it, and part of the roof was cut away to accommodate it. But 85 years later, it was a big problem.

Rangers watched Wednesday as the historic tree, hundreds of years old, was removed from the Brown House.

"When they took the first limb out, because I'm a very sentimental person, I teared up a little bit, said interpretive park ranger Patressa Kearns.

Kearns says they really had no other choice. "It was causing the roof to buckle and causing maybe the wall, the load-bearing wall, to buckle, so it would have done more damage as time went by."

But getting the tree out was no easy task for crews. "The deck was built around it, and then the roof was grooved around the tree where the tree went by the roof, and through the years the tree had gotten extremely large, and it was beginning to shift the cottage, and the front door wouldn't open anymore, said John Shifflett, who owns the tree removal company that did the job.

The tree was so close it actually grew into the roof of the house, carving a rut into the living wood. The crew needed a crane to remove the tree in pieces, but it was difficult to even get one near the house.

"We were limited to crane size because the bridge crossing Rapidan stream here, we had a weight limit, Shifflett said.

The stump of the tree was below the deck, causing even more problems.

"We had to crawl under the porch and deal with that, considering we watched two snakes go under there this morning when we got here, Shifflett said.

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Crews Remove Tree that Threatened Historic House

Thirsk residents angry over tree removal

8:43am Wednesday 18th June 2014 in Ryedale news

A NORTH Yorkshire MP has petitioned Parliament over the removal of trees from Thirsk Market Place.

Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk, Malton and Filey, presented the petition, which had been signed by Thirsk residents, angry at the removal of birch trees from the Market Place.

She said: I have been contacted by many constituents who have been angry and disappointed that the trees were removed so suddenly from the Market Place and without any consultation.

I hope that this petition will go some way in encouraging Hambleton District Council to think again and take note of the concerns of Thirsk residents. Feelings locally are running very high, which is demonstrated by the fact that 1,000 residents have signed the petition.

Residents are keen to know that replacement trees will be in place and which variety.

The petition urges the Government to encourage Hambleton District Council to replace the five trees that were removed.

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Thirsk residents angry over tree removal

Published: Tuesday, 6/10/2014 PETTISVILLE

BLADE STAFF

PETTISVILLE, Ohio The Ohio Department of Transportation will begin removing 21 trees on residential walkways today, after the commencement of the Safe Routes to School project on Monday.

The project to improve sidewalks and signs around local schools requires the removal of some trees that are in the way of renovated sidewalks. Some other trees slated for removal are just unhealthy, state officials said.

The tree-cutting, funded by $400,000 in federal money, was delayed last week, after residents complained about the number of trees that were going to be taken down.

The Fulton County Commissioners voted to approve the project on June 6, with the requirement that ODOT consult with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and individual homeowners to determine which trees were salvageable.

Based on national regulations and advice from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, ODOTs contractor had marked 42 trees for cutting, but it reduced the number after a reassessment of the area.

Teresa Pollick, an ODOT spokesman, said representatives went door to door to discuss the project plan with residents, and to explain to them the reasons for the cutting.

By the time the project is completed in October, ODOT will plant 31 new trees in the area.

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ODOT to begin tree removal for sidewalk project