Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Hazard Tree Assessment

One of my favorite sitting places looked a bit different when I checked on it last Sunday. This old shingle oak was hollow, and it had an opening about eight feet up on the south side, so it was probably occupied by owls, or populated by 'possums. I liked resting under it to watch a couple of intersecting game trails. Last week we had a day with thirty mile per hour winds, and that took it down.

I knew this tree was bad, but it wasn't crowding any crop trees, and it was a good acorn producer, so I have left it alone. It did not have any targets, and it did not hurt anything when it came down. It will make some good firewood.

I spotted this hollow urban tree recently, and unlike my tree, it is in a target rich environment. It could easily hit either of two houses depending on which way it breaks when it comes down, or it could fall into the street and smash a car. There is also the possibility it could fall on a person.

When you compare this trunk to my tree, you can easily see that this tree will come down in the foreseeable future. Look at the trees around your home and spot problems like this one before the hammer falls. Look up when you park your car, and don't hang out under trees like these when the wind blows.



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