<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The previous point about inspecting
trees prior to installation is very important. It also gives you
a chance to look at root quality. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Our planting contract documents reference
the Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock; the trees must conform to all
stated requirements for the type of plant material. This document
considers species & natural form, as well as health, vigour, appropriate
physical proportions that trees to which supplied trees should conform.
It has some shortcomings, but the latest edition has fairly reasonable
requirements. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">For those unfamiliar with the document,
you can get it here:</font>
<br>
<br><a href="http://www.canadanursery.com/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=841"><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.canadanursery.com/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=841</font></a>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">________________________<br>
Brian Geerts <br>
ISA Certified Arborist<br>
Urban Forestry Technician<br>
City of Brantford <br>
Parks & Recreation Department<br>
1 Sherwood Drive<br>
Brantford, ON N3T 1N3<br>
519.756.1500 x5511<br>
Fax 519.756.4893 <br>
bgeerts@brantford.ca</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>canufnet-request@list.web.net</b>
</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">01/28/2010 10:33 AM</font>
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<div align=center><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to<br>
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<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td valign=top><font size=1 face="sans-serif">CANUFNET Digest, Vol 61,
Issue 16</font></table>
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<br>
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Today's Topics:<br>
<br>
1. Re: Healthy tree definition (Ian Wilson)<br>
<br>
<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Message: 1<br>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:05:43 -0800<br>
From: "Ian Wilson" <IWilson@kelowna.ca><br>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Healthy tree definition<br>
To: "Canadian Urban Forest Network" <canufnet@list.web.net><br>
Message-ID:<br>
<63C8F69A3250564AAAEE162EF144217F1E471FE4@kelexchange.city.kelowna.bc.ca><br>
<br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"<br>
<br>
Hi all,<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I suggest that instead of focusing on the tree health at final<br>
inspection, that you change your contracts to state that all trees must<br>
be inspected and approved by city staff prior to planting. Ideally
you<br>
could go to the nursery with your contractor and pick out the trees you<br>
want. It can be difficult to get the contractor to make any changes
at<br>
final inspection.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Another approach is to pick out and buy the trees yourself; you supply<br>
the trees to the landscaping contractor to ensure quality. Having
a<br>
good quality tree to start with doesn't guarantee that it will still be<br>
healthy by the time you have final inspection, but it should help.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Ian Wilson<br>
<br>
City of Kelowna<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
From: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net<br>
[mailto:canufnet-bounces@list.web.net] On Behalf Of For Trees<br>
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 9:46 PM<br>
To: 'Canadian Urban Forest Network'<br>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Healthy tree definition<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
With regard to Travis' comments, it seems to me that this wording leaves<br>
it completely open to whatever subjective interpretation your<br>
inspectors may have on any particular day, with no recourse whatsoever<br>
for the contractors or nurseries that have their trees rejected. You<br>
are basically saying that a tree must conform to your standards,<br>
whatever they may be, right or wrong. <br>
<br>
In point of fact, trees are not normally high headed, and must be pruned<br>
that way in the nursery. Such pruning is clearly detrimental to the<br>
health of the tree, and in most cases, stunts the growth, reduces taper<br>
and trunk strength, and invites disease and poor compartmentalization,<br>
which can lead to trunk cracks, sunscald and several other defects that<br>
I can think of. This is all well researched and documented in Alex<br>
Shigo's book 'A New Tree Biology" 1989 and in "Modern Arboriculture."<br>
1990. Other researchers such as Gilman have since written excellent<br>
books on the topic of pruning and pruning trees for urban areas in the<br>
nursery, which have been universally accepted by most of the rest of<br>
North America and the world. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
And what of trees that do not normally have a central leader in the<br>
Edmonton area? Trees like Green Ash, Mayday, Schubert, Amur Cherry and<br>
Ornamental Crabapples very rarely possess a "single dominant, well<br>
developed leader." I can only imagine that very few otherwise healthy<br>
trees of these varieties survive your inspection process!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Even if any particular Urban Forestry department actually knew what a<br>
"healthy tree" was and could specify this in a way that was "not
open to<br>
interpretation", there is no guarantee that picking a tree simply
on the<br>
basis of "good" form will guarantee future good health, especially
in a<br>
place where trees are notoriously difficult to grow, such as the Western<br>
Prairies. Planting methods are the single biggest factor influencing the<br>
success of a tree. And while you are perfectly right not to accept
a<br>
tree with obvious signs of abuse such as scrapes and broken branches, we<br>
continue to plant the healthiest of trees in the worst of places and<br>
blame the tree when it dies. Trees need room to grow both above and<br>
below the ground to sustain themselves, and usually have neither in most<br>
Urban Areas in the world today.<br>
<br>
Fixating on a tree's form, especially when the form is entirely<br>
unnatural to the species or variety, certainly should never be<br>
considered the only attribute of potential good health!<br>
<br>
We obviously need to rethink the whole notion of "tree health"
when<br>
Urban Areas are still in the design process. I believe it is possible<br>
to shape cities to conform to nature, but nature cannot be retrofitted<br>
to fit our cities, if our cities are to be sustainable.<br>
<br>
Food for thought.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Gerard Fournier<br>
<br>
Board Certified Master Arborist #PR-0130BT<br>
<br>
Tree Canada Community Advisor-Southern Alberta<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
President<br>
<br>
For Trees Company Ltd.<br>
<br>
1-877-390-TREE (Alberta toll-free)<br>
<br>
</font></tt><a href=http://www.fortrees.ca/><tt><font size=2>http://www.fortrees.ca
<</font></tt><a href=http://www.fortrees.ca/><tt><font size=2>http://www.fortrees.ca/>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
From: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net<br>
[mailto:canufnet-bounces@list.web.net] On Behalf Of Travis Kennedy<br>
Sent: January-27-10 4:17 PM<br>
To: 'Canadian Urban Forest Network'<br>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Healthy tree definition<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Our Design and Construction standards touch briefly on "healthy"
but add<br>
a number of other quality measurements to reinforce our intent:<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Refer to section 02930 2.2 and 2.3 in Volume 5<br>
<</font></tt><a href=http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/PermitsLicences/D_and_><tt><font size=2>http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/PermitsLicences/D_and_<br>
C_landscapsng.pdf> : City of Edmonton Design and Construction<br>
Standards.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
A design review comment that we like to make on submitted drawings from<br>
developers usually contains some or all of the wording below (this<br>
particular case is in reference to deciduous blvd. material):<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
"All trees to be high headed and exhibit a full and uniform crown,
with<br>
a single dominant, well developed leader. Trees with broken or damaged<br>
or missing leaders will not be accepted. All plant material must conform<br>
to the City of Edmonton Design and Construction Standards." <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
This comment in combination with the standard helps prevent confusion<br>
about what is and isn't acceptable during our CCC / FAC inspection<br>
process.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards, <br>
<br>
Travis Kennedy, BSc, AIT <br>
River Valley, Forestry and Environmental Services <br>
12304 - 107 Street <br>
Edmonton, Alberta <br>
T5J 2R7 <br>
p 780 496 4954 <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net<br>
[mailto:canufnet-bounces@list.web.net] On Behalf Of Kowalyk, Bohdan<br>
(MNR)<br>
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 7:05 PM<br>
To: Canadian Urban Forest Network<br>
Subject: Re: [CANUFNET] Healthy tree definition<br>
<br>
There are various tree classification systems depending on<br>
intent. For some purposes, it may be appropriate to require<br>
confirmation by a qualified person, subject to an authority's approval,<br>
that a healthy tree is not likely to degrade in health and functional<br>
attributes for at least the next 15 years.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Bohdan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
________________________________<br>
<br>
From: canufnet-bounces@list.web.net<br>
[mailto:canufnet-bounces@list.web.net] On Behalf Of<br>
SVescio@thunderbay.ca<br>
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 1:02 PM<br>
To: canufnet@list.web.net<br>
Subject: [CANUFNET] (no subject)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Hello out there, <br>
Is there an accepted or standard definition for the term<br>
"healthy tree"? We would like to revise the wording for
acceptable<br>
condition of trees at final inspection and do not want the health of a<br>
tree open to general interpretation. Thanks. <br>
<br>
Shelley Vescio RPF <br>
City of Thunder Bay <br>
(807) 625-2473 <br>
(807) 625-3258 (fax) <br>
<br>
The information transmitted by electronic communication is<br>
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End of CANUFNET Digest, Vol 61, Issue 16<br>
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