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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT size=2><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=523531820-14032008>Tangible Capital Asset Registries are topic that
has great implications for municipal forestry operations across the country, but
I am pretty sure most CANUFNET subscribers have probably never even
heard of it. Around 2005, t</SPAN><SPAN class=523531820-14032008>he
Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) recommended that governments
including municipalities report "Tangible Capital Assets" (TCA) on their balance
sheets. </SPAN><SPAN class=523531820-14032008>In Alberta, this
recommendation became law and is now a legislative requirement commencing Jan. 1
2009. The Province of Ontario also appears to have similar requirements,
and many municipalities in that jurisdiction are well on their way to reporting
TCA. </SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a standard practice or
consensus on how to report trees. The advice given by the
PSAB isn't specific and opinion from other sources is
contradictory, ranging from don't report the value of trees, to report the value
of trees that were planted with a purpose (like visual screening), to
report the value trees as if they were converted to pulp
wood.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Most municipalities involved in building TCA
registries have hired consultants to aid with the developing the
reporting process. In some cases the same consultants have been hired by
several municipalities, but for ethical reasons the consultants can't share what
one municipality is doing with another municipality. All this results in a
dearth of guidance and information about how to report trees and the urban
forest in a Tangible Capital Asset Registry. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Therefore, I think that it is important for municipal foresters to
share with each other what they know about TCA registries, what their TCA
will report, how their reporting policy is worded and how they are
going to track, collect and manage their asset reporting in subsequent
years. . </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>So now for my questions. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Which other municipalities are in the process of building their
TCA?</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>How are you planning on reporting
trees? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Have you tried to make the case that tree appreciate in value rather than
depreciate? ... and how did that go? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Are you using historic costs of acquisition (planting) for your starting
point and depreciating from there? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Are you reporting individual trees or lumping trees into a
general average land improvement value? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>What is your useful lifespan for a tree? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>How are you taking into
account vintages? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>And my final question, does anybody - anywhere, understand this?
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Thank You </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Russell Friesen</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Urban Forestry Coordinator </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2>City of Calgary Parks </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT
face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV></SPAN>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=523531820-14032008><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN
class=523531820-14032008> </SPAN></DIV><p/><p><FONT face=Arial color="Gray" size=1><STRONG><U>NOTICE -</U></STRONG><br>This communication is intended <STRONG><U>ONLY</U></STRONG> for the use of the person or entity named above and may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient named above or a person responsible for delivering messages or communications to the intended recipient, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that any use, distribution, or copying of this communication or any of the information contained in it is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and then destroy or delete this communication, or return it to us by mail if requested by us. The City of Calgary thanks you for your attention and co-operation.</font></p></BODY></HTML>