City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/599208
Municipal arborists have to balance their commitment to caring for trees with the responsibility of maintaining public safety and services. Preserving the beauty of urban tree canopies along municipal streets and in park settings is a matter of proactive planning, good communication, careful management, and ongoing professional maintenance. Asplundh Tree Expert Co. employs a large number of ISA Certified and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborists who are a valuable resource to many municipal partners throughout North America, Australia and New Zealand. They provide support in the planning and execution of proactive maintenance programs for street and park tree pruning and care. Ed Casey, City Forester for Springfield, Massachusetts, cares for 27,000 trees spread throughout the city's streets, as well as 736 acres of open space, and 21 community parks. He has worked with Asplundh for nearly a decade to help with pruning, planting, removal and stump grinding. "The management team at Asplundh is responsive and collaborative when getting crews together for work that needs to be done. They're on top of it." All of Asplundh's trained crews prune according to ANSI A300 tree care industry standards and understand the importance of sustaining the health and aesthetics of municipal trees. They are also qualified to work safely and efficiently around the hazards of downed power lines. This is especially important when Mother Nature, or an impaired driver, knocks a tree into electric lines or topples a utility pole. Asplundh has extensive resources in skilled tree workers and specialized equipment to assist in the safest and most efficient manner possible. Jay Hein, City Forester for Colorado Springs, Colorado, has a big challenge, managing over 200,000 street and park trees and over 10,000 acres of open space. "Based on our current funding, we don't have the staff to keep up with the level of work on our own. Asplundh provides the service we need to stay on top of rotational pruning. They help with emergency response, forest management, thinning, understory removal and reducing forest fuel load to help lower the fire risk, especially in the open spaces that are directly adjacent to residential areas. That's a big concern for us here and it's really important that we keep that under control." When asked what makes Asplundh stand out among other similar contractors, Hein stated, "They have the ability to work street and park trees, as well as those under the utility lines. Many contractors don't have the utility certification. Also, we work with Asplundh to reduce invasive plant species. The same is true for trail restoration and maintenance. They do a lot of safety pruning for us to raise the clearance height of branches from native trees, as well as removing invasive species." In an effort to preserve as many trees as possible, Asplundh is a leader in helping cities manage a crisis posed by invasive pests such as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). In fact, Asplundh has been on the front lines of federal, state, and local efforts to identify affected trees and mitigate the damage caused by these pests. Another major part of a proactive urban forestry program is replacing trees for future generations. Asplundh is an active participant in Arbor Day planting for many municipal partners. Municipal arborists across the country are encouraged to contact Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for the resources and expertise needed to help manage and maintain a healthy, attractive urban forest. Visit us at www.asplundh.com for more information. Asplundh is there for you: Anytime. Anywhere. Added Support for Proactive Urban Forestry Programs Asplundh teams up with Colorado Springs Forester, Jay Hein (center), to keep city trees pruned and public spaces safer. Advertorial