900 Natural Resources Drive, Ste 800
Charlottesville, VA 22903
1-866-VATREES
Ph: 434-295-6401
Fax: 434-295-1724
info@TreesVirginia.org
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1-866-VATREES info@TreesVirginia.org
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Tree Mutilation Occurring in VirginiaVirginia is blessed with many trees—a forest of green in the spring and summer; a blanket of warm reds and brilliant yellows in the fall. We have so many trees that we hardly blink when an archaic tree mutilating practice takes place. It is called “topping” and its prevalent throughout the state. “Topping” is the drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in mature trees. The tree is pruned or sheared much the way a hedge is cut, leaving large exposed stubs. The practice is also known as heading, stubbing, tipping, lopping, roundover, dehorning or hat racking. Regardless of what it’s called, topping is ugly, expensive and dangerous. Topping is a major starting point for hazard trees. If a tree needs to be topped it is already a hazard and should be removed and a new tree planted in its place. Homeowners often consider topping an acceptable practice and “the right thing to do” when they need to make trees smaller or reduce homeowner liability. Ironically, tree topping does just the opposite of what people think it will do. The severe, harsh cutting only make the tree grow back faster in the form of ugly sprouts, which are much weaker and more susceptible to disease, insects and rot. Weakened trees are much more likely to fall during storms and thus become very hazardous. Numerous people have found seasonal work in providing much, firewood and in the pruning and maintenance of established trees. When a severe storm devastates a community, or a rash of spring storms leaves a neighborhood splattered with broken limbs and fallen trees, a whole new crop of chainsaw wielders appear, often with little or no understanding of how trees should be pruned properly. The more to cut, the quicker the job, the bigger the payday. Buyers should beware of these people. Also check established firms to see if they advertise they “top” trees. “Topping is a quick way to make a buck,” said Kathy Sevebeck, Executive Director of Trees Virginia. Some people say utility companies also are culprits. However, most companies are eager to help consumers pick the right tree for the right spot and how to prune it properly under power lines. The right tree planted in the right place in our state can provide us with beauty, shade, a sanctuary for birds and small animals, and keep our air cleaner and reduce energy needs. With a little common sense, an informed public can quash the topping practice before more uninformed people with chainsaws kill off more of our cherished trees. For more information on “Experts Agree: Don’t Top Trees” call 1-866-VATREESTrees Virginia is a program of the Virginia Urban Forest Council, with support from the Virginia Department of Forestry and the National Tree Trust and patterned after one developed by Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and the Missouri Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council.
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