[CANUFNET] Municipal Tree Risk Assessment Policies

[Jack Radecki]

I posted this morning on the American Society of Consulting Arborists
Listserve the post as shown below. I know that many municipal tree managers
subscribe to CANUFNET with hopes of getting an opinion or even a
confirmation from within the Tree Risk Assessment Policy. Anyone is welcome
to provide their opinions here. See below.

 

"I am looking for precedents or opinions on private trees targeting
municipal rights of way. In this case a badly decayed willow had fallen
across a roadway injuring a pedestrian. There was no sidewalk and the tree
fell across the whole roadway. I have reviewed pictures showing extensive
decay in a large open wound on the main stem easily visible from the
roadway. This tree would easily have been labelled as an extreme risk for
failure by a competent tree inspector. I do note that the shoot growth and
foliage size and colour was still good despite the structural defect. As
target is one of the 3 main components of tree risk assessment, should the
municipality showed due diligence in inspecting this private tree targeting
the road allowance that pedestrians frequently use? Does the responsibility
fall to the municipality to note and take steps (action) to have the tree
removed in terms of notice to the owners? Now that the tragedy has occured
and litigation has begun what can be expected as a result? Remember that
this is a private tree. I wonder how many municipal tree risk assessment
policies include private trees? In 2005 I was retained within a coroners
inquest sadly for a child death on an educational trail at a botanical
garden. As a result of the decision from the inquest a mandate was initiated
to have all Conservation Authorities, Municipalities and Private
Institutions create and maintain a Tree Risk Assessment Policy."

Jack Radecki RCA 342 Lindsay, Ontario, Canada




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