David Bloniarz

The first state-legislated and mandated municipal urban forestry officials in the United States were tree wardens. Massachusetts state law enabled municipalities to appoint tree wardens first in 1896 and mandated their appointment beginning in 1899; five other states passed similar legislation shortly thereafter. These municipal officials have jurisdiction over most, and sometimes all, public trees in the municipality they serve.

The first state-legislated and mandated municipal urban forestry officials in the United States were tree wardens. Massachusetts state law enabled municipalities to appoint tree wardens first in 1896 and mandated their appointment beginning in 1899; five other states passed similar legislation shortly thereafter. These municipal officials have jurisdiction over most, and sometimes all, public trees in the municipality they serve.

Hazard trees are a concern for anyone who manages trees in a landscape setting, including arborists, urban foresters, and grounds managers. Through re- search, experience, observation, and common sense, ar- borists and urban foresters have identified many risk factors that predispose trees to failure. They have also de- veloped thresholds to help determine the degree of hazard and whether a tree is in imminent danger of failing or needs annual (or more frequent) inspections. Two critical factors are involved in strength loss assessment in tree stems with defects. First, it is important to know how much strength is lost due to a defect such as a hollow or cavity. Second, the load required to cause failure needs to be considered since the wood of some trees is inherently stronger than others. Research currently underway at the University of Massachusetts , U.S., intends to test the strength loss due to decay in tree stems. Eventually, once the methodology has been refined, other tree ...

The use of representative crossectional illustra- tions of various street types presents a useful and effective method of examining the relationship between overhead elec- tric lines and street trees. This design system can serve as the basis for proper species and site selection. Through the development of a series of street type criteria, ranging from larger major arterial roads to smaller local streets, this paper presents a workable and useful methodology that is available to municipalities and utility companies for aiding in the selec- tion and management of street trees. The impact of overhead wiring on the landscape is both physical and aesthetic. Views that otherwise would be unobstructed are often interrupted by the siting of electric distribution lines. The aesthetic quality of the streetscape is often shaped by the location of utility lines, with design responses often patterned after the utility infrastructure. The widespread use of trees along streets as a design elemen...