Heavy winter weather — such as ice and snow — has prompted a rush of worried questions to the Vancouver Urban Forestry department.
“Over the past two months we have received an inordinate amount of calls from homeowners about their large trees,” said urban forestry outreach coordinator Jessica Antoine. “They are concerned about the safety and size of the trees and often are requesting to cut them down.”
But maturity and large size are not indicators that a tree is likely to fail, according to urban forester Charles Ray. Better indicators are wounds and defects like decay, cankers and root rot.
Vancouver’s Urban Forestry department is offering a free workshop on recognizing tree hazards and taking corrective actions to keep your tree and yourself safe. A certified arborist and tree-risk assessor will be on hand to lead the discussion and answer tree-care questions.
The free workshop is 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Space is limited. To sign up, call 360-619-1108 or e-mail urbanforestry@ci.vancouver.wa.us.
