Understanding The Importance of Tree Protection Zones
Ask an arborist what bothers them most about their job and they will tell you it’s
having to cut down what in general appears to be a perfectly healthy tree. So
why do they do this and how does that happen? It happens because during
construction and when the landscaping is being thought out tree protection
zones are not created. That results in what would otherwise become healthy
beautiful old trees having to be brought down because they are unstable, pose
some kind of danger, or they are causing damage.
Usually an arborist will not make the decision to remove a tree unless it is no longer
alive, it has been badly damaged, it is plagued with disease beyond
rehabilitation, or it poses a health or safety risk to the property or persons.
One of the most common mistakes to be made during the building stage is to damage the
root system of an existing tree when digging up the foundation. Then decades
later this beautiful tree that appears healthy on the outside is actually dying
and poses a safety concern so it must come down, and people wonder why. They
are often very sad at the realization that they are going to lose their
beautiful old tree.
So how can one prevent this from occurring? It’s really quite simple. In the early
stages of planning, before you start your new construction project have an
arborist come by and tell them you want to create tree protection zones.
Request that they establish a perimeter around the trees that will ensure the
root structure is protected. Then make sure that your construction crew has
this information.
These tree protection zones will ensure that the roots of the trees remain safe and
protected and are not damaged, causing a beautiful old tree to die off.