[ QUOTE ]
What I was able to regularly prescribe that worked at SMU was 6' tall unscreened chainlink fence panels, posts set in the ground, at the drip line. No gate.
They were installed before demolition and ground breaking and stayed up until the landscapers arrived. I or my staff were the only people that were allowed inside.
At the end of the project one might think to turn it over to the landscape contractors and they'll take it from there. But they have their own way of disrespecting established trees. Your work, and its successes can be dashed quickly, at the end of the project (and well masked by the perps). Not that they or any other construction procedure could be allowed to compact the soil beforehand with current and/or bad practices, but it was a college campus. We got huge areas airspaded (specifically. not tilled), before re-sodding or landscaping. The landscapers loved working in that optimal soil, we could amend the texture as well as the nutrients. The contractors that adopted this method found it cheaper, less person-hours, although it took more calendar days to have someone use the air tool to do initial bed prep.
Trees may do better with a root prune. In the canopy, prescribe the usual hazard removal. Some have used growth regulator during construction isolation. Temporary irrigation, if needed. These care steps indicate the trees are under care and not thrown in as an afterthought. The conservators are investing in the trees-- which are part of the outcome, too. It IS cheap, and it will be done.
Be aware of changes in the environment that may influence the tree between demolition and finish. We had some horrible sun scalding that might have been prevented if I could have constructed enough plywood shades or hung shade cloth over the areas of the limbs and trunk exposed to the sun now that the previous building was missing.
Orange plastic fencing and 2x4s. I would like to say it in less letters:
USELESS.
If you can figure a way around it, do you think the interlopers won't?
Research the history of using fines as a consequence to damage. You will have to give them a schedule of fines. The contractor will then build it into the price of the job as a cost of doing business.
Be very aware of your posture and tact when addressing your audience. You join their team, they join your team.
--Its not to be the tractors vs. tree huggers. --
Enroll them in the solution. Danger words are "Buy in." Buy in means they pay you to give them suggestions, they do pretty much what they want to. They get paid. You get paid. The client searches for more budget to salvage (because it can't be "corrected" or "made right").
Participation needs to have a backbone from the folks that write the check on out the the folks schlepping wheelbarrows.
If you can get ANY participation from your client that they are interested in "tree conservation" rather than "tree preservation", its an indicator of support. It was told to me that we conserve trees, and we go to museums and galleries to see things that are preserved.
Promote the cause:
If you can put a QR code thingy up that directs passers by to a site that's equally promoting tree conservation and the project itself. Having a contractor's logo (they like the advertizing) next to
www.treesaregood.org link and logo (we like the advertizing) can say a lot.
Signage in French, English, and probably Spanish (in your particular local), on both sides of the fence. Its cheap and more visible.
Set a plan where you can concede a little bit. Set a plan where there are enforceable consequences. Include regular inspections by you with the site super. Corrective and consequential actions are spelled out in other documents.
-Be aware where construction vehicles can, and therefore, will be (un)loaded, operated, or parked. It only takes once with most of this stuff, which also doesn't mean they get to repeat it and it won't be worse. We had a huge section in two canopies damaged. It was a mystery for about half an hour until I felt the tracks in the sod (not to mention soil texture destruction). The hot exhaust of one tractor and later the fuel truck burned the trees. Scorched dead.
-If someone dropped a bandanna in the TPZ (Tree Protection Zone), I was to be called. No lunches, too bad if the workers had to find shade some other place. First it was lunch, then a pallet, then it was tool boxes, then trucks.
-The masons thought it fit to use their saws to make clearance cuts when they were putting up scaffolding to instal brick veneers. Once. Vary your inspections and make them unannounced.
Some of the contractors were more receptive to things from James Urban's 'Up By Roots'. Its not at my fingertips, but would be worth a search for his suggestions, and searching the book's bibliography, too.
The short, hard, bottom line about cheapest, easiest, for a large amount of trees?
***WARNING: I do NOT recommend anything close to this ***
Cut them all down and replant. That's right.
Then have the accountant cut you a check.
Have them cut me a check, too,
for enough currency so that I'm so rich I don't care about the consequences and when my arbo family runs me out of [town, country, land?], I can retire on a boat or maybe work in another industry-- maybe in CONstruction.
Thankfully, that's why you are asking questions here.
Good luck. Good skill.
[/ QUOTE ]
Every removal you complimate?
Every tree is a significant contributor to your life system.
the expostulation is yours to discover
Think your true lifes desire!
Love is eternal and the essence of breathe is love,
extending the furthest you can reach
Built upon and forth with
the singularity!
Basically love the one your with - Animal, vegetable whatever deserving attention!
Cheers
Of ALL THE POSTS THIS IS THE MOST DESERVING OF YOUR OWN MINDS EYE!
THNKYOU Jim Dunlap
