Alberta highway tree hacking

Eric Frei · 26th April 2010, 03:49 PM

Always interesting how things are done elsewhere.

CBC News - Calgary - Alberta highway tree hacking stuns senior

Quote:

A Calgary-area woman is stunned that a highway crew on a road maintenance job hacked away at a row of poplar trees she planted 30 years ago.

Jo Brewer, 84, has put up a sign along Highway 547, south of Calgary, near Aldersyde, bringing motorists' attention to the trees, which now have broken branches, shredded limbs and scraped bark.

Last month, Alberta Transportation dispatched a road maintenance contractor to cut back one side of the trees.

"I saw this great huge machine with a big scoop on the front, just knocking down the branches, top off a couple of trees and just making a big mess of them," Brewer told CBC News.

Ralph Rolston, an operations engineer for Alberta Transportation, said that type of "brushing" is done regularly to improve road safety. He said in Brewer's case, the poplars created a windbreak that caused snowdrifts on the highway.

"It's a highway right of way, and not a park or a natural area. Our primary focus on the safety of the motoring public," he said, adding the department's specifications don't deal with aesthetics or tree health.

But Rolston acknowledged: "They may have cut back the trees a little further than we normally would have."

Art Cox, a certified arborist with Somerset Tree Service, said after examining the trees that the poplars may not survive.

"They came through with the most efficient piece of equipment that they could think of … and butchered off whatever they needed to get their right-of-way clearance," he said.

"This is fibrous material, and moisture and whatnot is going to absorb into there," Cox said, pointing at a tree's exposed bark. "There's a very high chance this will soon decay away, and cause a severe weakness in the tree."

Rolston said the transportation department will call Brewer to discuss her concerns, but not much can be done for the trees now.

"If it comes to pass that they don't survive, the crews will go back and remove them," he said.

"It's hard to grow trees in southern Alberta," said Brewer, a former gym teacher. "I thought it was really quite a feat to grow those trees, to grow the way they did. Our tax dollars wasted wrecking trees. I think that just puts it in a capsule, exactly what happened here."

Local woman incensed by ?hack and slash? job - High River Times - Alberta, CA

Quote:

SubmittedJo Brewer, who lives on Gladys Ridge, said Alberta Transportation contractors hacked and slashed trees, which she believes are on her property. In protest, she put this sign up to raise awareness to passing motorists and neighbours. Brewer said she was not consulted and the job done was not acceptable.

Garry Brockley · 28th April 2010, 09:47 PM

Jeez thats major flail work im guessing they dont have standrds to work to in that area

Eric Frei · 28th April 2010, 10:24 PM

Maybe Lopa could tender for it, you know, big excavator and just crawl along tearing limbs off, of course, all to their specs!

I think they might even have a "she'll be right" clause in Canada.

windthrown · 29th April 2010, 06:37 AM

Row cutting as they call it here is a hack job at best. They do it for roads here, as well as for power lines. Hack, chip, and move on. You would be amused with some of the tree results from being butchered around here. Another thread I need to start for sure.

28th April 2010, 09:47 PM	#2
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,641	Re: Alberta highway tree hacking Jeez thats major flail work im guessing they dont have standrds to work to in that area __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

28th April 2010, 10:24 PM	#3
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,994	Re: Alberta highway tree hacking Maybe Lopa could tender for it, you know, big excavator and just crawl along tearing limbs off, of course, all to their specs! I think they might even have a "she'll be right" clause in Canada. __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

29th April 2010, 06:37 AM	#4
windthrown Former Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: In the Great Pacific Northwest Posts: 1,207	Re: Alberta highway tree hacking Row cutting as they call it here is a hack job at best. They do it for roads here, as well as for power lines. Hack, chip, and move on. You would be amused with some of the tree results from being butchered around here. Another thread I need to start for sure.

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