Bap! Bap! Bap! goes the sound of a roofer stapling down roofing underlayment. Screeeeeetch! Goes the sound of bulldozer tracks as an excavator begins breaking new ground on a project. Orange! Orange! Orange! In every direction, marks another road closure or detour. These are the sights and sounds familiar to anyone living or visiting Kootenai county right now. Some might say this is a sign of progress and prosperity, others an end to an old way of life. Either way, it is our current reality.
This increase in road improvement, construction and development can be a challenge when it encounters tree preservation. Let us be honest, there is a time and place when a tree must simply go due to its location. That said, many projects happen around established trees that must be preserved due to ordinances or by specific design for aesthetic purposes. This can be a challenge for everyone from the architect, builder and all the sub-contractors. Unfortunately, a consulting Arborist is rarely required or called until well into a project. Usually it is not until some digging has occurred and a large root cut from a desired “save” tree that we get a call. The typical scenario that I often show up to involves a group of men in hard hats staring down a hole with questions such as, “Well, do you think the tree will make it?” “Could it fall over?” Can you get out here tomorrow and get it down?” And finally, “Someone get the owner on the phone!”
I laugh quietly to myself as I wrote the above as I have been in that situation so many times. That said, I think construction impact to trees is a relevant topic to discuss, given our current building/development climate. As an example, take trees along 95 in front of Parker Subaru, Mike White Ford and Robideaux Motors. Notice the strange browning of the leaves all on the same spot of each tree? This is exhaust or engine heat damage from the equipment used to rebuild the bike trail along 95. This damage is superficial compared to other construction impact but is an excellent example that trees cannot move out of the way and it is up to us to protect them as much as possible.
More next week and as always, for further questions, quotes or consultations, give us a call today!