We have talked a lot this series about tree pruning on your Charleston, SC property for the safety of visitors and passersby, as well as for the appearance and health of your trees. We even touched on the upcoming hurricane season last month. However, we’ve saved the most important element of all of this for this month: Tree Risk Assessment.
At Connor Tree Service, we are qualified to assess trees’ risk to people, property or assets based on our status as Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) through the International Society of Aboriculture (ISA).
Blog posts in this series
What is TRAQ?
According to the ISA, “The TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) program offers tree care professionals the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the fundamentals of tree risk assessment by learning a standardized, systematic process for assessing tree risk and providing information to tree owners and risk managers for making informed decisions that will promote the safety of people and property and enhance tree benefits, health, and longevity.”1
As part of the qualification process, arborists develop a sound understanding of tree biology and tree risk, which is essential because it lays the groundwork for analysis.
In simpler terms, this means that we have additional training and certification to spot, assess, and address potential hazards before they cause damage to property or hurt visitors.
What does that mean for me as the tree owner?
We have emphasized over the last two months about making sure you are having your trees serviced and properly caring for them to diminish the need for risk assessment, but between storms and other forces of nature, sometimes potentially dangerous situations arise. That’s what our TRAQ services are for!
Tree risk assessment provides tree owners with a plan to reduce risk through mitigation. This might take the form of removing a risky limb over a house or crown thinning to compensate for a co-dominant leader. Sometimes, a tree may be deemed so unsafe that mitigation will not reduce risk to an acceptable level, and removal may be recommended. None of these decisions are ones a tree owner should try to make on their own. TRAQ as a service through Connor Tree Service is so valuable because we take the guesswork out of the already tough decision making, helping you know what’s best for your trees and your safety.
While it is impossible to eliminate all tree risks, it is possible, through a systematic and defensible approach, to reduce risk to a reasonable level. People, property, and activities are less likely injured, damaged, or disrupted when tree risk is acceptable, and this is our ultimate goal when providing a tree risk assessment to tree owners.
Call today to see if Tree Risk Assessment is Right for You
When is Tree Risk Assessment Useful?
The most obvious time to inquire about tree risk assessment is when you are concerned that one of your trees might be posing a threat to the safety of yourself or your property. If you think a limb is dangerously entangled in power lines or hanging too far over your roof or driveway, that’s when you should reach out.
If a storm has come through and you are considering removing fallen branches and limbs yourself, that is also a time to call for an assessment. You can’t always see potential pressure points or cases when moving one part of a tree might cause another part to react in a dangerous way.Basically, when in doubt, inquire about tree risk assessment!
Tree Risk Assessment is part of our Full-Service Culture
Connor Tree Service offers a variety of tree care services, including trimming and pruning, tree removal, and stump grinding, but none of those services is completely safe without our tree assessment service as an integral piece of the equation.
We want to be sure our customers are fully satisfied with their tree care, and this extra effort gets us closer to the high level of quality we are known for throughout the Charleston, SC area.
