Trees On Our Minds

Well-placed, well-managed trees definitely add value to a property, but after last weekend's off-season snowstorm pummeled eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey, no doubt many homeowners would be happy with open lawns without a tree in sight. The storm certainly heightened many people's awareness of the danger of trees close to roofs and power lines. During the height of the wet snow and wind on Saturday, one needed only to stand outside to hear branches and trees coming down from seemingly all directions. We turned to the International Society of Arboriculture, based in Champaign, Ill., for some tips on managing trees. The organization's web site, treesaregood.org, is an excellent resource to bookmark.

The ISA site offers a tree-hazard checklist for homeowners to use to review the trees on their properties. Home buyers should also refer to such a list as they are looking at potential properties to buy -- the cost of pruning or removing large trees can be a significant expense that many people don't consider as they focus on the condition of the house itself.

If your trees are damaged by storms or by human activity such as construction, the ISA provides some treatment advice on its site. Of course, it's far less risky and expensive to avoid such damage in the first place. 

Is all of this fuss worth it? See for yourself with the ISA's National Tree Benefit Calculator.