The City does not tear out street lights when the bulbs burn out.

The City does not close roads when potholes form.

The City does not shut off water, gas and other utilities because leakage is a potential risk.

The City manages all these risks without denying citizens the benefits of all this gray infrastructure. Other cities manage their trees, their green infrastructure, in a proactive manner. They preserve their life-enhancing tree canopy. Richmond can too.

“Basically, if a tree is compromised – in this case by maturity, a full canopy and the weight of an abundant acorn crop – it becomes a hazard. And, even if treated, should it fall and do property damage or kill someone, the City clearly has a problem. The tree needed to go because of risk management.”

I don’t know where this information came from, but there are inaccuracies:

1. A “hazard” tree is one that is identified as needing management to reduce risk, just as streetlights, roads and utilities need management to reduce risk. Sometimes removal is the best solution, often other options–pruning, cabling, etc.– are more reasonable.

2. The City or its contractors are responsible for inspecting roads and utilities, and there is staff in place to measure trees.

3. The tree on Seminary is not gone yet. It will be assessed by an independent professional tree risk manager from outside the area tomorrow, Tuesday, at 9 a.m. If anyone is curious about how tree risk is systematically assessed, they are welcome to attend.

The assessment will also be reviewed during the Tree Stewards class at 6:30 p.m., held at the roundhouse in Byrd Park that evening.

They let them go until they become a threat to life and property and then when they DO collapse, it’s up to the property owner to pick up the bill.

‘This is the challenge to City leadership – to articulate and measure the value of trees to the City, and to communicate to the community why we want to keep as many as we can, and plant more.’