Tree News

Prior to making the decision to remove a tree, it is critical to determine whether the tree presents any kind of risk to your home or property. These steps are recommended to assure you are spending your money wisely and not wasting a valuable natural resource: Have your entire property inspected by an unbiased arborist. You should pay to have this service completed. A consulting arborist is going to be concerned with assessing risk, and not selling you tree removal services. It is worth every penny. Evaluate the impact the tree removal will have on your property. How will it change your landscape? Will it increase sunlight, open views, or create erosion problems? Will you need to spend additional resources in cleanup, landscaping, or replanting? Investigate the local laws concerning tree removal. The Atlanta area has many municipal ordinances that regulate tree removal on private property. Contact your local office of Community Development or City Manager. Don't forget to refer ...

The risk is high when heavy, wet snow accumulates on the tree, the snow has a snow-water equivalent ratio of between 6:1 and 12:1, and weighs in excess of 10 pounds per square foot. This risk is greater when the trees have full leaves or are not adapted to snow. Light powdery stuff is much less likely to cause problems. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow

From the Georgia Urban Forest Council - The City of Atlanta is the latest community to join a prestigious group of municipalities to be accredited by the Society of Municipal Arborists . SMA Accreditation is the highest national honor for municipal urban forestry programs. SMA Accredited programs have a certified municipal specialist on staff, have an approved Local Forest Master Plan, are Tree City USA growth award recipients, show private contract preference for accredited tree care companies, adhere to industry standards for safety and performance, and adhere to SMA’s Code of Ethics. “The SMA accreditation is yet another example of the City of Atlanta’s commitment to excellence,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “I commend the members of the city’s Arborist Division and the Office of Parks for their dedication and willingness to sharpen their skills and achieve the highest professional standards for the benefit of the citizens of Atlanta.” The City of Atlanta is the first municipality to b...

This map is current as of September 2, 2010 NW: Michael Franklin, 404.330.6079 NE: David Tachon, 404.330.6077 SW & SE: Stan Domengeaux, 404.330.6078

An interesting chart regarding the April windstorms has been posted at the OnebarkBlog .

I've begun a series of short articles regarding the recent Atlanta storms on the Onebark Blog . Check it out; I'll be posting installments over the next week.

This morning, the metro residents were awakened to several hours of falling trees and limbs. Although the weather system did not look particularly ominous, I struck out for my morning appointments. In northwest Atlanta, I was greeted by residential streets blocked by both dead and live trees that had toppled across the roadways. In one instance, as I backed away from a fallen tree in the Margaret Mitchell neighborhood, I caught a glimpse of a pine falling across the street behind me. I was now actually blocked on both sides! I was able to get out of my Jeep, and quickly pull back enough of the tree top to create an escape route. This is one of the few times in storm history that I was afraid to be in my vehicle. I drove down the street to a cul-de-sac, where no tall trees existed, until the winds died down. This windstorm was caused by intermittent downdrafts, creating wave-like patterns across the landscape. These waves are very forceful and can cause trees to fail in unexpected...