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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1674428.html
When most Triangle residents look up at the canopy of foliage above them, they are grateful for the shade, oxygen and natural beauty that the region's abundance of trees provides.
But two recent tree-related tragedies have highlighted the dangers, however remote, that can result when diseased or dead trees are neglected or not dealt with carefully.
On Aug. 19, Dejuan Green, 21, was killed and two people were injured when a falling tree crushed the car he was riding in on Old Stage Road in southern Wake County. Last week, a Cary man, Adam Young Hughes, 39, was killed when the tree he was cutting down in his yard fell on him.
Arborists and tree trimmers say these incidents should not prompt residents to conclude that their trees are more prone to falling unexpectedly this year.
"We have to watch out for this fear factor," said Sally T. Thigpen, Raleigh's urban forester. "Trees don't always have to be removed."
But late summer is the time when residents worry most about trees, as they contemplate what might happen to their property if a major hurricane blew through the Triangle.
And this year, the recession is causing some to put off spending the money to trim or cut down dead or diseased trees.
"The tree estimates we are making, a lot of people don't call us back," said David Moss, owner of Moss' Const. Co. "I guess it's just a money issue. I drive by and see the tree still there."
Moss, who advertises tree-cutting services along Old Stage Road, said the recent fatal accident resulted in a few more phone calls.
"They're looking up at their limbs a little closer after that," he said.
When most Triangle residents look up at the canopy of foliage above them, they are grateful for the shade, oxygen and natural beauty that the region's abundance of trees provides.
But two recent tree-related tragedies have highlighted the dangers, however remote, that can result when diseased or dead trees are neglected or not dealt with carefully.
On Aug. 19, Dejuan Green, 21, was killed and two people were injured when a falling tree crushed the car he was riding in on Old Stage Road in southern Wake County. Last week, a Cary man, Adam Young Hughes, 39, was killed when the tree he was cutting down in his yard fell on him.
Arborists and tree trimmers say these incidents should not prompt residents to conclude that their trees are more prone to falling unexpectedly this year.
"We have to watch out for this fear factor," said Sally T. Thigpen, Raleigh's urban forester. "Trees don't always have to be removed."
But late summer is the time when residents worry most about trees, as they contemplate what might happen to their property if a major hurricane blew through the Triangle.
And this year, the recession is causing some to put off spending the money to trim or cut down dead or diseased trees.
"The tree estimates we are making, a lot of people don't call us back," said David Moss, owner of Moss' Const. Co. "I guess it's just a money issue. I drive by and see the tree still there."
Moss, who advertises tree-cutting services along Old Stage Road, said the recent fatal accident resulted in a few more phone calls.
"They're looking up at their limbs a little closer after that," he said.
