Central Services > Landscape Management
Eastern Redbud, Tulip Poplar, Blackgum, Overcup Oak, Pin Oak, Willow Oak, Shumard Oak and Bald Cypress are available for $15.00, ’October Glory’ Red Maple, ’Heritage’ River Birch, American Hornbeam, Sweetbay Magnolia, White Oak, Scarlet Oak and Northern Red Oak are available for $20.00, and ‘Little Gem’ Southern Magnolia and ‘Princeton’ American Elm are available for $25.00. The trees must be paid for by October 1, 2008. Cash or checks can be dropped off at the Landscape Management Division office located at 350 Pound Street. You may also call Andrew Saunders at 706-613-3561 to make other arrangements for payment. Trees may be picked up at the Tree Fair being held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Sandy Creek Nature Center on Saturday, November 8, 2008. Additional tree species will be available at the Tree Fair.
Athens-Clarke County is also the recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program in the following activity areas: Education and Public Relations, publications, youth education, tree-care workshops, Partnerships, new project or organization, Planning and Management, tree inventory and analysis, computerized tree-management system, and professional tree manager. The prestigious Growth Award recognizes environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Athens-Clarke County has met four standards to become a Tree City USA community: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.
Citizens can be a partner in this effort by insuring that any new trees planted have adequate room to grow to maturity without the chance of creating a conflict with utility lines in the future. Trees that grow higher than 25 feet at maturity should never be planted beneath or near overhead lines. Georgia Power has produced a brochure titled “Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place” that describes the proper placement of trees and lists the types of trees recommended for planting near power lines. This brochure is available from the Community Forestry Coordinator at the Landscape Management Division office at 350 Pound Street. To request a copy or additional information on utility line clearance pruning and tree removal, call Landscape Management at 613-3561 or e-mail the Community Forestry Coordinator at forester@co.clarke.ga.us.
While these contractors may have expertise in tree removal, they apparently do not have training in tree health assessment or hazard tree evaluation and are neither Registered Foresters nor International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists. Athens-Clarke County residents can schedule an appointment with ACC Community Forestry Coordinator Andrew Saunders at 706-613-3561 or forester@co.clarke.ga.us before agreeing to have trees removed because of a perceived problem. This free tree health assessment is offered through the Community Tree Program. Citizens should contact qualified and experienced tree services for bids on any tree work, including pruning and removal. The ACC Community Forestry Coordinator recommends utilizing tree services with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff who can accurately answer tree care questions and supervise the work to be done. Tree services with Certified Arborists can be found in the phone book or online at www.isa-arbor.org.
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