Volume 92 — July-August 2019 — Issues 7 & 8
This Issue Presents...
Director's DiscourseLTE Page: Why Limbs Fall in Your Yard
Benefits of Trees
Caring for Mature Trees
Director's Discourse
By Donna Massa
Plans are well underway to deliver a conference presented by renowened speakers who are extremely knowledgeable about the industry, experienced with speaking engagements and able to engage their audiences. Additionally, we have interested exhibitors old and new who are eager to talk with you. Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City is a new venue for us! It is located away from the Board Walk on the other side of town. It is new, beautiful, and spacious and offers convenient amenities to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. Don't forget the giveaways, contests, and chances to win prizes! This year make sure you drop by and see EVERY exhibitor who has joined us. Participating exhibitors will individually offer a raffle each day of the conference. Stop by and see them, enter your name for their raffle prize and perhaps you will be a lucky winner. There will be many opportunities to win. You have to be in it to win it.
The 94th Annual Conference this year will be held at Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey on THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, October 24-25, 2019.
Brace yourself....this year we are changing things up a bit. We will have our General Session in the mornings only and split the afternoon sessions into two concurrent sessions. More talented speakers and more topics to choose from! We will continue to offer the one-day CORE training, but this year it will be offered on Thursday, October 24, 2019 ONLY. Inventory/i-Tree training session will NOT be offered.
In CORE training, obtain a solid foundation and understand of the Community Forestry Program and Shade Tree Commissions, become aware of the legal aspects of managing trees and gainan insight to and recognition of hazardous tree situations. No Community Forestry credits are offered for participation in CORE. CORE is a separate requirement under the NJ Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act and is part of the Training Skills and Accreditation Program established under the Act. DPW credits for public works employees, however, are available for CORE training. Look for details about the CORE program in this year's program which is scheduled to be released toward the end of August.
Earn educational credits from NJ Community forestry and obtain CORE certifications. Earn LTE and LTCO credits awarded by the NJ Board of Licensed Tree Experts, as well as from the State of Maryland. Earn other certification credits from the DEP Pesticide Control Programs in New Jersey as well as New York and Pennsylvania. Lastly, don't forget credits earned from the NJAISA, the Public Works Association, and the Society of American Foresters. Make sure your municipality remains in good standing with the State of New Jersey and keep your licenses current all at one conference. if you've joined us in the past, please join us againto experience the fresh and exhilarating changes we have planned for this year. If you've never been to the NJ Shade Tree Federation Conference, THIS IS THE YEAR TO ATTEND! If your municipality or your business hasn't been represented at the conference in the past or if you need professional license credits, the NJ Shade Tree Federation Conference is the place to be. We encourage ALL municipalities and tree care professionals to attend. It is time well spent.
The conference is at Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City. Be sure to reserve October 24th and 25th and join us! The General and Concurrent Sessions continue to host talented speakers who have the knack to engage an audience's interest and relay information that each of us can bring back to our businesses and/or communities.
The welcome and opening program will begin on Thursday morning at 8:30 AM. Following the opening program, we welcome back a good friend of the NJ Shade Tree Federation, Dr. John Ball from South Dakota University who will help us explore the landscape above ground and kick off our conference with a presentation on how "You Can Take the Tree Out of the Forest, But Not the Forest Out of the Tree: How the Above-Ground Tree is Shaped by the Trees Surrounding It". He will also share with us a bit about "The Wood Wide Web" and how the below-ground tree is truly part of a community.
Following Dr. John Ball, Lew Bloch, author of Tree Law Cases in the USA, will join us. The revised and expanded 2nd edition of the Tree Law Cases in the USA is an excellent reference guide for arborists, municipal attorneys and municipal commissioners, with information on 200+ arbor-related cases. Lew will provide a discussion of real tree law cases involving fatalities, personal injuries, property damages, neighbor disputes, storm damages, and monetary appraisals of damages, as well as a discussion of tree law through the eyes of an arborist.
The afternoon session this year will be split into two concurrent sessions. You choose which track you would like to attend — The Municipal Track is geared toward the municipal commissions and DWP personnel and the LTE/LTCO Track is geared toward the licensed professional and tree companies in the industry.
On The Municipal Track, we welcome Paul Cowie, principal of Paul Cowie and Associates. Paul will address "Inventory Complete — Now What ?"
Following Paul, Joe Greipp, Director of Robert A Winters Arboretum at Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, joins us to discuss what shade tree commissions and DWP personnel need to know about the recent implementation of the Tree Expert and Tree Care Operator Licensing Act and the importance of an LTE/LTCO's performing work in the municipality. He will share with us information on how to Link into the NJ Board of Tree Experts to find qualified/certified LTE/LTCOs and how an LTE/LTCO license differs from other certifications such as TCI or ISA.
To end The Municipal Track, we will hear from Municipalities throughout the State of New Jersey, whose outstanding efforts have greatly contributed ot the field of urban and community forestry in New Jersey.
At the same time on the LTE/LTCO Track, we welcome back Rich Buckley, Director of Rutgers University Soil Testing and Plant Diagnostic Services, who will provide us with New Jersey's invasive pest update.
Following Rich, we welcome Steve Chisholm, Jr., General Manager of Aspen Tree Expert Co., Inc. Steve will discuss how to become a respected LTE/LTCO contractor to a municipality. He will talk about the importance of getting to know shade tree commissions and DPW personnel within a municipality. He will address how a municipality will now depend on the licensed professional under the Tree Care Act for guidance and education about the trees on municipal property. He will chat about how a contractor makes contact with a municipality, build a reputable contractor relationship and provide a professional, valuable service. He will address why the LTE/LTCO license differs from other certifications such as TCI or ISA and debate the difference between the municipal client and the private client.
To end the LTO/LTCO Track, Dr. Richard Hauer, Professor of Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin, will discuss the science and BMPs of tree planting and establishment to promote tree growth and longevity. Ever get in a heated discourse on whether or not to remove or not remove burlap from planted trees? This talk will dig into the topic and present the first known study on the full removal, partial removal, and non-removal of burlap and wire baskets. Techniques and approaches to implement with containerized and container grown trees are also presented. The steps you should and can easily take to promote tree establishment will be discussed. This presentation will provide a format that will both educate early career professionals and provide advanced topics for all through humor and interactive participation.
Join us Thursday evening of the two-day conference at our Conference Dinner with cocktail hour beginning 6 PM. Don't have dinner on your own. Here are your registration options:
- Purchase a Complete registration and join us for both days of the conference AS WELL AS the Conference Dinner on Thursday evening.
- Purchase a Single Day registration for Thursday and add $55 and stay and join us for the dinner that evening OR
- Purchase a Single Day registration for Friday, arrive the night before, and $55 to your registration and kick off your conference experience by joining us for the Conference Dinner on Thursday evening.
Enjoy the finest comfort foods of the season and unwind to the entertainment of Catmoondaddy. Mingle with other municipal commissioners as well as tree professionals in the industry. The atmosphere is casual. Overy 20 door prizes donated by the NJ Shade Tree Federation, as well as our exhibitors, make the evening fun and your chances of winning are pretty good.
Wake up on Friday morning and join us as we welcome Dr. Gary Watson from the University of Illinois. Dr. Watson will join us and give us a summation of the topics discussed at last year's Landscape Below Ground IV conference. The Landscape Below Ground Conference is a forum that presents the latest research and management practices in all aspects of tree root development in urban soils.
Following Dr. Gary Watson, Wayne Dubin, VP and Division Manager from Bartlett Tree Experts and Mike Zichelli, Director of Planning and Development in Glen Ridge join us to discuss "Pruning and Specs." Wayne played a large role in the writing of the new A300 Pruning Standards. Preparing specifications for pruning municipal trees is important because they become the basis for contract obligations. The municipal commission, the municipal arborist and the contractor should all be familiar with the basic terminology used in pruning specifications, in order to eliminate any misunderstandings and to ensure that trees receive the correct treatments. Both Wayne and Mike will share with us their thoughts on the A300 Pruning Standards and writing clear and concise specifications.
Once again, the afternoon session this year will be split into two concurrent sessions. You choose which track you would like to attend — The Municipal Track is geared toward the municipal commissions and DPW personnel and the LTE/LTCO track is geared toward the licensed professional and tree companies in the industry.
The Municipal Track opens with Larry Kuser, principal of Fernbrook Nurseries. Larry will present his thoughts on how important it is for communities to communicate with nurseries in order for the municipality to get what they need in nursery stock. Municipalities and nurseries need to spend more time communicating and coordinating together so that the nurseries could plan to provide a market of diverse species. Larry will present list groupings on a 10-20-30 rule, but in small, medium and large groupings and on easy as well as difficult sites, or fast grow/slow grow groupings. Lastly, Larry wil leducate us on what is quality material from a nursery and how to get it.
Larry, Carrie Sargeant, Coordinator of the NJ Urban and Community Forestry Program, joins us to help us navigate the NJ Community Forestry Portal, explaining how to check on the municipality's good standing with the state, advise where to find grants and funding available to the municipalities, and guide us on how to be sure to meet respective deadlines. Lots of information to help make your job as a municipal shade tree commissioner easier.
To end The Municipal Track, Dr. Richard Hauer, Professor of Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin, will address the cost of NOT maintaining trees. Arborists, urban foresters and decision makers often look at urban trees and green infrastructure as a cost. The cost of planting, maintaining, and removing vegetation often gives way to a pause during times of budgeting and decision making. Are these urban actions really costs, or an investment that pays dividents? Discover that the costs of NOT properly maintaining the urban forest is greater than proper maintenance.
Running concurrently and opening the LTE/LTCO Track, Dr. Beth Brantley from the Research Labs at Bartlett Tree Experts, joins us to discuss IPM planning with municipalities. She will talk about ways in which municipalities can be successful with IPM planning and how good initial investments will result in long-term benefits. Pest and pathogen case studies will be presented along with alternatives that you might not have considered in the past!
Following Dr. Brantley, Jerry Bond joins us to share his thoughts on Field estimation of Tree load potential. The last three decades have seen an explosion of research on tree biomechanics. In this presentation, Jerry will address how to use this research information in the field. Many practical examples, combined with key scientific insights, will demonstrate a straightforward method of incorporating field estimation of tree-load potential into risk assessment.
To end the LTE/LTCO Track, John Linson, principal of The Shade Tree Department, will discuss the wrong tree in the wrong place. You didn't plant it, but it is your problem now! Learn how to resolve tree conflicts above grade, at grade, and below grade. Understand why good trees go bad and what you can do about it.
We have a plethora of talent ready, willing and able to share their expertise with you. Take advantage of all that the NJ Shade Tree Federation conference has to offer. Purchase a "complete" registration, enhance your conference experience and join us this year at the Conference Dinner on Thursday evening of the conference. It is all time well spent!
LTE Page: Why Limbs Fall In Your Yard
Travel around a leafy neighborhood after a storm and you will see tree limbs, large and small, scattered about the ground. Why do some limbs fall in high winds or after ice storms, while others merely bend? Should you worry about that large limb overhanging your driveway?
"One reason trees fail is weak branch unions," says Peter Gerstenberger, Senior Advisor for Safety, Standards and Compliance with the Tree Care Industry Association. "Homeowners can educate themselves about tree limbs, but they should call a professional arborist if they are worried about an overhanging branch."
Trees may suffer from naturally formed imperfectoins that can lead to branch failure at the union of the branch and main stem. There are two types of imperfections that create weak unions: a branch union with included bark and an epicormic branch.
Weak Unions
Branch unions can be characterized as strong or weak. Strong branch unions have upturned branch bark ridges at branch junctions. Annual rings of wood from the branch grow together with annual rings of wood from the stem, creating a sound, strong union all the way into the center of the tree.
A weak branch union occurs when a branch and stem (or two or more co-dominant stems) grow so closely together that bark grows between them, inside the tree. The term for bark growing inside the tree is "included bark." As more and more bark is included inside the tree, the weak union is formed that is more likely to fail.
In storm damage surveys conducted by the University of Minnesota's Forest Resources Department, 21 percent of all landscape trees that failed in windstorms failed at weak branch unions of co-dominant stems. Some species are notorious for having included bard: European mountain ash, green ash, hackberry, boxelder, willow, red maple, silver maple, Amur maple, cherry and littleleaf linden.
Epicormic Branches
Epicormic branches (also called water sprouts) are formed as a response to bad pruning, injury or environmental stress. Epicormic branches are new branches that replaced injured, pruned or declining branches. Commonly, epicormic branches form on the stems and branches of topped trees. When old, large epicormic branches are growing on decaying stems or branches, the epicormics are very likely to fail.
Epicormic branches, by their very nature, form weak unions because they are shallowly attached instead of being attached all the way to the center of the stem. Epicormic branches grow very quickly so they become heavy very quickly. After a time, they lose their connection to the main branch and may fall to the ground because the underlying wood cannot support their weight.
If a weak union is also cracked, cankered or decayed, the union is likely to fail, causing the branch to fall off the tree. Sometimes, ridges of bark and wood will form on one or both sides of a weakened branch union in order to stabilize the union. The branch is very likely to fail when a crack forms between the ridges.
This information is brought to you by the Tree Care Industry Association and the NJ Board of Tree Experts.
Benefits of Trees
Trees Are Good • Treesaregood.org
Have you ever imagined what the world would be like without trees? The benefits of trees extend beyond their beauty. Trees planted today will offer social, environmental, and economic benefits for years to come.
Social Benefits
Social benefits of trees go beyond enjoying their beauty. Humans feel a calming effect from being near trees. The serenity we feel can significantly reduce stress, fatigue, and even decrease recovery time from surgery and illness. Green spaces can also help lower the level of crime within urban environments.
Communal Benefits
With proper selection and maintenance, even trees on private property can provide benefits to the community. Trees provide privacy, accentuate views, reduce noise and glare, and even enhance architecture. Natural elements and wildlife are brought to the urban environment which increases the quality of life for residents within the community.
Environmental Benefits
Trees alter the environment we live in by moderating climate, improving air quality, reducing stormwater runoff, and harboring wildlife. Examples of the environmental benefits of trees:
- Trees help moderate temperatures by creating a cooling effect which can counteract the heating effect of pavement and buildings in an urban environment.
- Compact tree foliage can serve as a windbreak, as well as provide protection from rainfall.
- Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates and releasing oxygen.
Economic Benefits
The economic benefits of trees are both direct and indirect. Property values of landscaped homes are 5 to 20 percent higher than those of non-landscaped homes, based on the species, size, condition and location of the trees included in the landscape. Trees also provide shade which can lower cooling costs for your home and reduce heating costs in the winter by acting as a windbreak.
An arborist can help you determine the value of trees by providing an appraisal. Documentation on the value of trees in your landscape can assist with determining property value, as well as help with insurance claims in the event of a loss.
Maximizing the Benefits of Trees
Trees provide numerous benefits, but in order to maximize a tree's benefits, routine maintenance is required. Though these benefits begin the moment a tree is planted, they are minimal compared to the benefits of a mature tree. The costs associated with removing a large tree and planting a young tree can outweigh the costs of regular tree maintenance practices, such as a tree inspection, pruning and mulching.
Caring for Mature Trees
Canopy.org
Mature trees provide shade and beauty and other benefits to the urban environment. They require different treatment than young trees, but still need regular watering, pruning, disease prevention and protection.
Mature trees grow more slowly than new trees and are very sensitive to their surrounding environment. If older trees are damaged or left with large pruning wounds, they regrow wood slowly and are more susceptible to disease. If watered improperly or growing in poor soil conditions, the tree's health will start to decline. The tree may be stressed for a long period of time before it shows significant symptoms, such as leaf or branch drop. Watch trees carefully for foliage changes, to catch problems early and begin care and treatment.
Three Steps to Help Your Mature Tree Thrive:
- Water the Right Amount
The number one thing you can do for mature tree health is to make sure that the amount of water supplied is appropriate for your tree. For most mature trees, regular monthly deep watering is recommended in the absense of soaking rain. Consult Canopy's Trees and Water Section to learn how much and when to water your tree. - Prune Wisely
Mature trees need to be pruned regularly to remove dead or diseased wood and to remove excessive weight from the ends of branches. The process called "end-weight reduction" will reduce the likelihood of branch breakage and hazards. Make sure a trained professional, ideally a Certified Arborist, prunes your tree. Inadequate pruning compromises the health of trees. Whatever you do, avoid "topping" your tree — this harmful practice ruins the tree's natural structure, starves the tree by removing a high percentage of food-producing leaves, creates openings for disease, and initiates the tree's eventual demise.
- Watch for Pests or Diseases
Learn about tree pests and diseases that may affect your tree. If you suspect disease, consult a Certified Arborist. The arborist can also inspect the tree for weak branch attachments and periodically check your tree for safety. Watch trees carefully for foliage changes to catch problems early and begin care and treatment.