CTPA Updates - CTPA (Connecticut Tree Protective Association)

CTPA Introduces its Go To The Top Web Site

January 15, 2018 by

CTPA is pleased to announce the release of its Go To The Top web site, with the publication of its “Hire a CT Licensed Arborist” web page. CTPA members may view this page at arborists.ctpa.org. This page features an Arborist Business search tool.

The page and the website are still being finalized. Once ready, CTPA will work to promote the site to the general public in Connecticut. Our goal for the site as a whole is to increase awareness of the Arborist Licensing Law, including the value it provides the public, as well as to assist people in the hiring of a licensed arborist. The design of the web page is deliberately mobile-device friendly.

CTPA chose to list DEEP-registered arborist businesses on this search page as the best and most direct way to help prospective clients find a licensed arborist.

We are releasing this page in advance of CTPA’s Annual Meeting so that the web page may be discussed at the Business Meeting. The Business Meeting will begin at 8:30 am on January 18th.

Funds are being sought to support the Veterans Home and Hospital Healing Garden

December 26, 2017 by

A few weeks back, CTPA reported on the progress that that is being made on the Home and Hospital Healing Garden. This Garden is being constructed at the State of Connecticut Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, under the leadership of CTPA’s President Bud Neal. CTPA has taken on the primary role in ensuring that this project gets completed, as a contribution made to Connecticut’s service veterans, in recognition of their service to the country. CTPA has taken on this role because a central feature of the Healing Garden is that of the healing benefits that come from trees.

All of this was outlined in the previous post. Additional information on the Healing Garden can be found the January edition of the CTPA newsletter and during the CTPA Annual Meeting.

In order to complete the Veterans Healing Garden, fundraising is necessary. CTPA looks to raise about $30,000. The 5 trees have already been donated, but CTPA is seeking support that will allow the purchase of benches, a fence, two plaques, seed for the lawn, plants for the individual gardens, a flagpole and various other items. It also seeks to raise a small cash reserve that can be used to offset future maintenance costs and needs.

CTPA is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3 organization. This means that it may accept charitable donations and that donors may claim such donations as tax-exempt. The Association will acknowledge any donations with a letter verifying that the donation has been received.

We wanted to get word of this out to CTPA members and others who may be interested in helping out, before the end of 2017, in case individuals would prefer the opportunity to donate during the current tax year.

To donate by credit card,

To donate by check, please mail your donation to the CTPA office:
CTPA
PO Box 1946
Wallingford, CT 06492

Checks mailed before the end of the year can be used as deductions against this year’s taxes. Be sure to indicate that the check is intended for the Healing Garden.

If you have questions, call the CTPA Office at 203-484-2512.

Thank you!

CTPA 96th Annual Meeting – Attendee Registration

December 8, 2017 by

2016-01-21 13.59.42 Please join us for our 96th Annual Meeting, Thursday, January 18, 2018 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT. We have a great line-up of speakers (Dr. Gerorge Hudler from Cornell University and Tim Walsh from The Davey Tree Expert Company, our always packed trade show and, of course, an excellent lunch. /The following CEU’s are available at the end of the day: CT DEEP 2A/2.0, 3A/4.25 CEU’s, CT Forest Practitioner/2.0 CEU’s, ISA Certification/3.75 CEU’s, TCIA CTSP/1.0 CEU’s and Advanced Certified Tree Wardens’/4.25 CEU’s.

New Website Now On-Line, with Resources and Tools for Urban Foresters, Tree Wardens and Arborists

December 1, 2017 by

A brand-new website, the Vibrant Cities Lab, is now available on line. The website is an interesting compendium of resources, research, tools and ideas, laid out in an accessible manner that draws people in. In addition to those who work professionally in tree care, the website is also geared towards providing tools to municipal managers, governmental leaders, advocates and others who need to know about trees.

The Vibrant Cities Lab is the product of a joint effort by the USDA Forest Service, American Forests and the National Association of Regional Councils. The website draws on a wide range of resources, evaluating them as to usefulness and then making them easily available to the user. The goal is to continue to grow this library of resources, including new research, resources and case studies as they come along.

The Lab is also a great place in which to browse for ideas, especially ideas relating to policy concerns and management options in the urban forest. The structure of the web pages encourages that sort of productive digging into the available material, offering options and choices that the user of the website can them pursue further.

It is worth spending a few minutes browsing the pages of this website. Over time, expect it to continue to grow, becoming even more useful as new and updated resources are added.

www.vibrantcitieslab.com

CT Legislative Report Gives Alternate View on Tree Liability Across Property Lines

November 30, 2017 by

OLR rpt 2017-R-0221 – Trees Falling onto Neighbor’s Land

The State of Connecticut’s Office of Legislative Research (OLR) has issued a report on tree liability that is certain to challenge many arborists’ understanding of this topic. The report, entitled “Trees Falling onto Neighbor’s Land”, discusses the extent of the liability that can be placed on a neighbor who owns a tree that fails, when that tree causes damage to a second neighbor’s property and also when the first neighbor has been given notice beforehand that the tree is likely to fail. The generally held understanding is that, in situations in which the tree is not anticipated to fail, the owner of the tree cannot be held liable. The cost of cleanup is the responsibility of the neighbor onto whose property the tree fell. However, it is also commonly believed that, when the owner of the tree has been notified that the tree is likely to fail, he or she can be held liable for the clean-up and damages if they did not act on this information. The usual means for notifying the tree’s owner, according to this view, is for the second neighbor, the one who has the concern that the tree is about to fall, to hire an arborist to determine that the tree is likely to be a problem and then let the first neighbor, the tree’s owner, know that there is the potential for a problem. This notification is usually done through such means such as a certified letter.

By referencing tow recent Connecticut court cases, this report knocks down that second commonly held assumption. In each of these cases, the courts reached the conclusion that the tree on the first neighbor’s property is a “natural condition of the land” and not the responsibility of that neighbor should the tree fail. In the first court case referenced, clear prior notice was given the owner of the tree that it was defective, but the court was not persuaded that knowing that fact placed any specific responsibility on the tree owner to do anything about it.

It does not appear that an arborist was involved in the inspection of this tree. Nor is there any indication that it would have made a difference in the ruling if an arborist was involved.

It is interesting to note that, in a prior OLR report from 2015, the same attorney suggests that common law supports the previous understanding – that knowledge of a defective condition in a tree could make an owner liable if he or she does not take action (OLR 2015-R-0278). Clearly, these two recent court cases have convinced the author that the point of view of the courts on this matter may be shifting.

In the background of these two court cases are a series of bills that have been proposed in the State Legislature. In each year between 2014 through 2017, a bill has been proposed that would establish in state law requirements regarding these two situations. In 2014 the bill passed but was vetoed by the Governor, based on concerns that that version was overly binding on tree owners. The subsequent bills each failed to pass in their respective legislative sessions. This legislative history is also outlined in the report.

The Office of Legislative Research is the Connecticut General Assembly’s office of non-partisan research on bills and issues of interest to legislators.

Given this report, it will be interesting to see if this bill is brought upon again during the upcoming 2018 session.

Nominations for CTPA Awards

October 18, 2017 by

The Connecticut Tree Protective Association regularly honors individuals who have made significant contributions to arboriculture and to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees. These awards are given annually and presented at the Annual Meeting. The CTPA Board of Directors is requesting nominees for awards for the upcoming Annual Meeting on January 18, 2018 and encourages you to nominate someone whom you feel deserves special recognition.

Award Categories:

Award of Merit– This award is presented to a CTPA member who has shown exemplary professionalism and dedication and made outstanding contributions to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees.
Arborist Citation– This award is presented to a non-member who has shown exemplary dedication to the care and protection of Connecticut’s trees.

If you know of someone that is deserving of either of these awards, please print out the nomination form and email (info@ctpa.org) or fax (203)793-7924 to the CTPA office.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, December 1, 2017.

Remembrance and Honor – a Healing Garden at the Veteran’s Home in Rocky Hill

October 12, 2017 by

CTPA is very pleased to announce the groundbreaking for the Veteran’s Home and Hospital Healing Garden at the Connecticut Veteran’s Home in Rocky Hill. When completed, there will be 5 Connecticut-native shade trees planted, along with 5 benches to rest on and several small gardens within the larger garden. Tying these features together is a walkway, slightly less than 300 feet long, constructed in a loop and wide enough for 2 wheelchairs to pass by each other.

The garden is being constructed for the veterans that are recovering on the property and their families. The Home and Hospital Healing Garden is on the lawn next to the Sgt. John L. Levitow Veteran’s Healthcare Center, a 125 bed long-term care facility at the Veteran’s Home. Many of the vets who make use of the Healthcare Center are disabled, and so wheelchair access and level ground are a must. The lawn in which this new garden is located, however, gives way to a slope and a spectacular view down a valley that reaches eventually to the Connecticut River.

This whole project has been the brainchild of CTPA President Bud Neal. Bud has persevered for more than 3 years, seeing the project through changes of administration, rumors of relocation of the center, and stories of potential construction on the garden site. Throughout, Bud has kept this idea alive, alongside his dedication to the veterans.

The number “5” is significant to this garden. The 5 benches are connected to the 5 wars fought since the mid-20^th century, from which there are still veterans alive. The 5 trees represent the 5 branches of the service (army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard). When the mature, the branches of the trees will touch, providing shelter to the veterans and their family members who will sit on the benches and appreciate the view down the valley.

The idea itself can be said to be five-star. From early on, Bud has been assisted in the planning of the Healing Garden by CTPA member and Master Gardener Sandy Ingellis. It is Sandy who is guiding the location of the benches, the layout of the smaller gardens and the overall sense to be provided by the garden.

On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, groundbreaking on this project occurred, when O&G industries began construction of the walkway. In the course of his own military service, Bud happened to cross paths with another soldier, Ray Oneglia. Mr. Oneglia’s grandfather was co-founder of O&G Industries in Torrington and Ray is now Vice-Chairman of the Board at the company. When Bud shared his idea with Mr. Oneglia, Ray shared Bud’s enthusiasm and personally gave his go ahead to the donation of O&G’s services to the construction of the walkway. This first phase of the project will be completed very soon – probably by the end of next week.

Sandy is predicting full completion of the Healing Garden by Veteran’s Day, 2018. It is hoped that the first tree will be in place by Veteran’s Day of this year, at which time the official groundbreaking of this project will be acknowledged. The remainder of the trees should be planted and a more formal dedication may be made by Memorial Day next year.

Meanwhile, Bud is simply thrilled that a dream is becoming a reality. Bud deflects all credit back to the spirit of sacrifice among the veterans.

Other groups and individuals, such as the Tree Wardens’ Association of Connecticut, have expressed their support for this project. Anyone wishing to know more about this project or discuss how they may be able to offer their support are invited to contact the CTPA Office.

Bud and Sandy consult the plans for the Healing Garden.

The walkway underway, as it will connect to the Levitow Healthcare Center.

A view down the valley from the future Healing Garden.

A more comprehensive view of the site of the Garden.

A view of the work through existing trees onsite.

Looking up the hill towards the future Healing Garden.

The CTPA crew – Sandy, Cathy and Bud.

Coffee break – the crew from CTPA and from O&G Industries.

Arboriculture 101 Registration

October 4, 2017 by

Registration for the Winter 2018 Session of Arboriculture 101 is now open. This series of classes will begin with the first class on Wednesday, January 3rd. All attendees must register before the start of this class. Also, please note, this session of Arboriculture 101 tends to fill quickly. There is a limit to the number of students that can be accepted into the course.

Details are available through the and the Arboriculture 101 web page.

If anyone would like further information, they should contact the CTPA office by e

Hands-on Night during the Winter 2015 class at Arboriculture 101.

mail or at 203-484-2512.

Request for wood samples for FFA Forestry Career Development Event

October 2, 2017 by

Connecticut FFA Forestry Contest (Click here for letter to Members)

Fellow members of the Connecticut Tree Protective Association:

For several years, my colleagues and I have been assisting with an FFA Forestry Career Development Event for regional high school agriscience students. It is a fun event for students to practice their tree and equipment identification skills, tree measurements, map interpretation, tree pathogens, and chainsaw troubleshooting skills.

One way we are hoping to elevate the tree id component of the exam is to have tree section samples in addition to our leaf and twig samples, and I am reaching out to ask for your assistance. Would you be able to provide a few pieces of wood (with bark), for this event? Ideally, something around the size one might use as a firewood stick would be great (12” long, 4-6” diameter wide).

If you are able to do so, I would be happy to speak with you in order to coordinate tree species (I am hoping to get about 50 different species throughout Connecticut) and make arrangements to pick up the samples.

Sincerely,
J.P.

Joseph P. Barsky,

Department of Forestry and Horticulture,

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

joseph.barsky@ct.gov

(203) 974-8540

CTPA Holds EAB Workshop and Training

October 1, 2017 by

The CTPA recently held its annual Emerald Ash Borer workshop and training session. This September 21^st meeting was held the furthest east of any of these workshops. It was held at the Middlesex County Extension Center in Haddam, and included a field trip to Haddam Meadows State Park.

45 people register to attend this meeting, including arborists, tree wardens, tree workers and visitors from USDA APHIS. These attendees heard talks from Dr. Claire Rutledge and Dr. Rich Cowles of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, and Eric Chamberlain of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

In the afternoon, the group traveled to Haddam Meadows, to see the impact of the insect more directly, including a chance to see exit holes left by the adults, bark flecking, bird pecks and, with the help of a draw knife, both galleries and the larvae themselves. The degree of decline and defoliation of individual trees were discussed, with demonstrations of treatment methods given by representatives from Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements, Arborjet and Bioforest Technologies, Inc. These presenters discussed the different pest treatment formulations they use, the differences in their mode of action and effects, and how to best use their products in landscape situations.

For many in attendance, the highlight of the day came when they returned to the Extension Center and had the opportunity to peel infested ash bolts for themselves, finding and collecting larvae that, preserved in alcohol, they could take back to their offices if in-state.

This workshop is notable in that it is the furthest east that CTPA has put on one of these educational events. The emerald ash borer continues its flight across the state, with all towns in New Haven and Middlesex Counties having reported EAB finds, most towns in Hartford, Litchfield and Fairfield Counties and strong headway in New London, Tolland and Windham Counties. (See EAB map).

It is the goal of CTPA and of those who collaborated with the Association on this workshop to encourage all people responsible for trees to be aware of this insect and the problems that it is causing now, as it will eventually be causing these problems everywhere in the state. This includes arborists, tree wardens and tree workers, and also landscapers and property owners.

The CTPA wishes to thank the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of Connecticut Extension program, USDA APHIS, DEEP Parks and DEEP Forestry, for their generous participation in and contributions to this workshop. The Association also thanks Bud Neal, Claire Rutledge, Sandy Ingellis and Cathy Dvorsky, for the commitment and energy they put into making this event happen.

Take that, EAB!

Claire in front of the workshop

Bud and Claire, with an infested ash tree

Looking for EAB larvae

An a-peeling job

BioForest demonstration with Bear LeVangie

ArborJet demonstration with Rob Gorden

Rainbow Treecare demonstration with Rich Cartier