ALAP question

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
One that's overapplied at times, too. What strength loss formula did you use? Did you take into account the increased strength of woundwood?

It had a great target (front lawn of the U) and had a huge crack up the trunk with another on the back side. The tree probably could have stuck around for a while, but it wasn't worth the risk. Our assessment formula is 1" of sound wood per 6" of DBH for trees without cracks or openings and 2" of sound wood per 6" of DBH with trees with openings.

In addition, its roots were compromised. The first root we found was 10-12" below grade due to some grading work in the past.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Nick your formula sounds fairly reasonable, especially when other factors like roots are considered. Cracks on both sides, not too good.

If you have mitigation via reduction in your tool bag with everything else, no arguments. No offense meant.

 

[Nickrosis]

None taken. I already reported your post to a moderator, though....

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Nickrosis
None taken. I already reported your post to a moderator, though....

Bring em on, I just spent 3 hours in a deposition with a mean little snake of a lawyer defending my statements and my self, so I can handle a moderator, no matter the size...:blob5:

 

[NeTree]

Good call, Nick.

One must always consider not just the tree itself, but the potential targets- including people- that would be struck by a failure.


This sounds like a tree likely to be "inhabited" by students seeking reprieve from the sun on a hot summer day.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
Bring em on, I just spent 3 hours in a deposition with a mean little snake of a lawyer defending my statements and my self, so I can handle a moderator, no matter the size...:blob5:

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by netree
This sounds like a tree likely to be "inhabited" by students seeking reprieve from the sun on a hot summer day.

Tis true. I've treeboated in it myself. Actually, I think it's an appropriate time to show the e-mail that I received after I made the backcut. To put it in context, this is the area the e-mail refers to:

From: ****, Danielle
Sent: Sat 5/1/2004 10:09 PM
To: Alliance For A Sustainable Earth; Amnesty International; Anonymous Public Folder Postings; Bicycling & Hiking Trips; Biology Department; Climbing Club; CNR Reporter; College Greens; College of Natural Resources; Disc Golf Club; EARTH; Environmental Council; Gay-Straight Alliance; Message of the Day (MOD); Native American Center; NRES 600 - Wisconsin Environmental Studies; NRES 704 - Ecological Lifestyles; Outdoor EdVentures Student Manager; Peace Lutheran Student Fellowship; Roots and Shoots; Schmeeckle Reserve; TriBeta Biological Honors Society; Ultimate Frisbee Club; Wisconsin Environmental Education Board; Women in Natural Resources; Women's Resource Center; College Femmes List
Subject: HELP!!!! THEY ARE CUTTING THE TREES IN FRONT OF OLD MAIN ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!

First, I apologize to those of you who got this more than once.

To reiterate: THE UNIVERSITY IS CUTTING TREES DOWN IN FRONT OF OLD MAIN TO MAKE WAY FOR A PARKING LOT!!!!!!!!

On my way home from the UC Saturday night, I rode down Reserve st. and low and behold, a huge tree was cut. A few guys came up to me, one an Alumni of UWSP (who drove from Madison to try to stop this), and stated that his mother told him they were cutting the trees to make way for a parking lot!

They have already cut the largest White Pine on the lawn, to follow, THE OLDEST TREE IN THE LOT, A WHITE CEDAR, IS GOING DOWN TOMORROW, FOLLOWED BY ALL THE OTHER ONES!!!!!!!!

We didn’t hear about this, just as we didn’t hear about the sundial, but now,
WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS, WE MUST!!!!

How do you like the idea of a parking lot in front of our oldest building on campus???? NOT BEAUTY! IS THAT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO PROMOTE ON THE LARGEST CNR CAMPUS IN THE U.S.???

PLEASE! IF YOU GET THIS ON SATURDAY, JOIN ME AS I WILL BE CAMPING OUT IN FRONT OF OLD MAIN! IF ON SUNDAY, PLEASE COME DOWN TO OLD MAIN TO TRY TO HELP STOP THIS UNNECESARRY CUTTING!

Thank you,
Danielle ****
“I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees!”

Clearly, she was upset and set this message out to as many people as she could (she's co-president of the College Femmes).

 

[Nickrosis]

So I replied as professionally as possible, feeling badly that she feel completely for the joke those guys told her - that we were removing the trees for a parking lot.

From: Crawford, Nicholas J
Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 7:56 PM
Subject: RE: HELP!!!! THEY ARE CUTTING THE TREES IN FRONT OF OLD MAIN ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Danielle,

I just want to speak to your concerns about the hazard tree removal work that was done on campus this weekend. As part of a class, FOR 499, we removed the white pine after it had received a high hazard rating from several certified arborists, myself included. Removing trees is something that we avoid doing. In fact, as past president of the Student Society of Arboriculture, I've personally overseen a lot of tree care work that is done to promote the longevity of trees. For many years, we've also committed to planting trees, especially on Arbor Day. This year, we planted 28 trees in cooperation with the City of Stevens Point and included a 4th grade class from Jefferson to educate them on the importance of trees.

The sole purpose for the removal was to mitigate the hazard. Out of a concern for safety, we had to remove the tree. In regards to the parking lot, there are no such plans. I've personally treeboated in the tree (spending the night in a specially designed hammock) with 5 other people last year. On Friday night, we also had a couple of people spend the night there. The white cedar is a Wisconsin champion tree and is not considered hazardous, despite the tremendous amount of concrete poured inside of it by some well-meaning individuals years ago. That is the tree that we've specifically noted and have interpretive signs being installed by it and other champion trees on campus, telling their stories as historical trees.

We love trees more than anyone else, and we've committed our lives and careers to the care of them. If you have any concerns about the work that was done or about any upcoming work, please let us know. You can contact the Student Society of Arboriculture ([email protected]), its advisor and instructor of FOR 499. [Grounds Supervisor] and [Vice Chancellor for Business Affiars] were also informed of the appraisal of the tree and the work that was done.

If you would like to go camping in a tree, check out www.NewTribe.com, where I bought my treeboat.

Nicholas Crawford

Some unexpected public relations practice!

But the Chancellor and Vice Chancellors got a kick out of it, and Danielle wrote back saying that she was sorry and thanked me for my "commitment to the safety and vitality of the trees."

Nick, thanks for the excellent response you provided to the concerned individuals. You covered the issues well and were able to put some of your education to use before you graduate! As you kow there is no intention to cut any more trees from the front lawn than is necessary for safety. Next year probably a large ash will have to be cut, but we'll work with [Wood Re-Utilization Professor] to make some benches or other outdoor furniture from it.

We had intended to get messages of the day out alerting the campus to the fact that the tree would need to be taken down, but the speed with which CNR moved on it beat us to the point.

[Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs]

I think we're lucky on our campus that the administrators appreciate what we're doing. As he mentions, we try to put a positive spin on removals and always reuse the wood on campus if possible for benches, signs, and other wood products.

It was fun working through this, but I'm sure you've all got stories, too. We had a person chain themselves to a tree in a well-to-do area near Mike Maas, actually, who refused to leave. The chainsaw started, she found the key quickly, and the removal went on...

 

[Guy Meilleur]

So it was a white pine? Sounds like an easy splitter and hard to mitigate by reduction or hardware. As long as you're posting correspondence (nice reply!), do you have the risk assessment handy?

I was in a white oak (same color but a very different beast)in Richmond after Isabel that had double cracks leaning over a hou$e. reduction, tgr, semiannual monitoring and PHC.

It'll stand longer than me and maybe even you, NC.:angel:

 

[Nickrosis]

I don't have a pic of the Resistograph reading...maybe I could get it....

Here's some pictures of my borecut/backcut with the 5:1 set up on it. I didn't cut the notch, but I did get to do the rest, which was a blast for me!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Hey Nick,
How did you enjoy clening up all the brush from under the tree? LOL!
I still don't kow what the hazad was, nothing around except a bunch of college pukes.

 

[NeTree]

Mike....

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm curious why the brush was left on the backside. I mostly do just the opposite, which usually eliminates the need for a pull-line. Or at least I woulda removed it.

Just wondering!

 

[Burnham]

I'm wondering, too. I can see no reason from looking at the photos for not just dropping that little one whole...why did you need the tag line or the pruning/topping? Sorry, logger-brain at work , but really am serious about my question. I'm sure you must have some good reason.

 

[glens]

I'm guessing it was as much an exercise as anything.  Thus various operations were performed, not necessarily because they needed to be in this case.  The top/limbs were removed and laid as a bed to prevent tearing up the lawn, right Nick?

What I don't understand is why the distance from the tree while performing the felling cut(s)?

Glen

 

[MasterBlaster]

A brush cushion for the log is nice, but a real PITA to clean-up afterwards. Still, easier than packing in dirt to fix the divot.

Man, it's pouring here. The ground is saturated and I'm waiting for some trees to tip over.

 

[NeTree]

Y'all got radar down there?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Not really Eric, they just show the same colorized map of the south every time the weather guy sticks his head out the window and it gets wet.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!

 

[glens]

Butch, you maybe should have grabbed the image and posted it directly here.  It looks like in a couple of hours nobody will think you know how to read a radar image.