The removal of senescing trees or those which pose a genuine risk to health or property is part of professional urban tree management. However, there are many requests for tree removals that are not based on a genuine likelihood of injury or property damage, but rather on an unfounded fear of what might happen or where the tree is considered to be in the way of some other activity. Across Australia, about 97% of requests for tree removals made to local government authorities are ultimately approved. Such a high rate of approvals provides a threat to the fabric of the urban forest.
In many instances, the removal of sound and healthy mature trees has unexpected costs and consequences. The loss of shade can have an effect on the temperature experienced within a dwelling over summer and this may have health consequences in terms of heat-related illnesses if the occupants are elderly. Swelling of reactive clay soils may be exacerbated by a tree removal, which can contribute to problems with footings and foundations and wind damage may also be greater after the removal of a tree than it was when the tree provided a filtering of and shelter from strong wind.
Too often the consequences of removing safe and healthy trees are not fully considered when undertaking the cost-benefit analysis associated with any proposed tree removal. This brief paper provides a framework for decision-making that could be used in defending safe and healthy trees from removal and allows the identification of any unforeseen consequences from such removals.
I wonder what the approval rate in my city is. I have heard from some people their request was denied so hopefully a bit lower.
I’m proud to have been part of that 3%. We definitely didn’t approve as many as the stats say.
That said, the reason I left the work was because of the unnecessary tree removals going against my ethics and qualifications, approved by people who had no business approving these things (politics). So maybe the 97% got me in the end.
Yeah unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of good people go through a similar process of trying to resist a bad system for as long as they can but ultimately having to leave. And then they get replaced with someone who just goes for the path of least resistance. I don’t blame anyone for this—there comes a point when you just need to do what’s best for you and I’ve avoided even working at my local municipality because I’ve heard it’s a bad department but this is how large organizations come to be filled with such mediocre people.
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