A nice size top

Gord

Gord

Location
Gibsons BC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI6YdGbgBDA

Falling a top out of a Douglas-fir. This is at a rural development and we're prepping the lots (making views for the most part) for market. Many lots require several days of tree work to dozens of trees (many completely impractical to climb w/o spurs) and there's about a hundred lots, each five acres or so. Just to be clear about why I'm topping and spurring a tree that's not being removed.
 
Trees are cut to build the road into the forest. Then more trees are cut to open a building site and yet more trees are cut to open a view.

And who buys the house? Some tree hugger.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Trees are cut to build the road into the forest. Then more trees are cut to open a building site and yet more trees are cut to open a view.

And who buys the house? Some tree hugger.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mr Beranek, tree huggers are but simple folk, they are usually in need of education when it comes to trees and their associates. They should pick up a copy of Modern Arboriculture by Alex Shigo or Stupsi by Claus Mattheck.

The bear

Thank you

Gary

Amen
 
I've done a lot of view trims for property value enhancement over the years, and my general feeling about the practice is, "it's murder on trees."

Folks move up from the city and build a home in the woods, then anihilate their biggest assest, their trees, and their neighbors two to three properties away, just to get an easy view of the ocean from their living room. Why don't they just walk down to it?

The practice is wide spread and it's completely changed the look of the coastline. It's starting to look like the city.

In the last few years I've declined most view trim jobs that have been offered.

In some developement areas the CCR rules guarantee ones right to an ocean view. So if my tree blocks your view, even from a mile away, you can legally cut my tree to gain your view. Neighbors fighting neighbors. It's turned into a never ending legal battle that leaves practically every tree in the developement into a topped out hulk.

It's not fun to get involved with and any pride in your work might as well be cast to the wind.

City folk moving up to the country.
 
Wow, that's incredible! They can cut your tree? I'd like to see em do that with the shotgun toting rednecks we have around here.
 
It's happened to me. We had to return with the sheriff and the CLEECO guy to finish the span.
 
[ QUOTE ]

In some developement areas the CCR rules guarantee ones right to an ocean view. So if my tree blocks your view, even from a mile away, you can legally cut my tree to gain your view.

[/ QUOTE ]

shocked.gif
unbelieveble! and I thought we had some crazy laws. Nice clip Gord
 
What Gord's doing for the developement is just the begining of a long list of "don'ts" in tree work. It's not his fault. It's the developers. They could have Gord doing work to improve upon the existing trees, but their just thinking about the value of the view. So "wacking the trees" is the economic path.

And so, from now on the young trees growing up will be topped and cut down to maintain the views.

That exact same thing has been going on where I live for a long time. And sad to say, it's not about to end.
 
Development in and around trees should start with a sociological discussion way before an arborcultural one. How do the developers expect the people to interact with the trees? Not just the future residents but EVERYONE along the way. Starting with the utilities and street developers. The homeowner will be the one who has to live, or die, from the results of these transient participants. One careless or ill planned excavator movement can start a chain of events in a tree's life that won't be known until years later when 'God's Acts' get blamed.
 
No topping means no topping.....period. If we do it how can we ever get people to change. If you top a healthy tree your no better than a hack! Even if someonelse would do it. I just refuse to. Whats wrong with the view of a tree.
 
I'm not about to defend the topping of a tree like this one, but I should point out that these lots are fully treed (although some parts of the property were selectively harvested about 5 years ago) five acre lots. I would estimate that less than 15% of each lot has been cleared for building/view/road needs. My feeling of these situations is that if they can't hire an arborist to accomplish their goals, they will hire a faller to cut down every tree that affects the view. By hiring us a great number of the trees are retained, although they may need maintenance or replacement in the future. Also, almost every lot has a few old-growth firs, some quite large, which we and the developers have went to serious efforts to retain. None have been cut down.

There's no question that the developers will get the views that they need to sell the lots, so it's a sort of damage control from my perspective.
 
If the market had a higher value for views of trees then the trees would be retained. The market is for ocean views and that is what people are willing to pay a premium for. Developers don't create the market they respond to it with what they can get their hands on.

Now if the consumer came along and said, "I love a nice forested lot with views of the trees surrounding me.", then that is what would be delivered.

Gords point is reality, we get involved to at least effect some change. It is the lesser of two evils.

By condemming the market's actions instead of getting involved to direct them away from the status quo, we can lead to the ideal.

Change takes time and pioneers to lead it.
 
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