The document discusses the benefits of trees and the legal duties of landowners regarding trees on their property. It notes that landowners have a duty of care and are responsible for inspecting trees for defects to prevent injury from falling trees. The document lists many benefits of trees, such as carbon sequestration, oxygen production, erosion control, and energy conservation. It provides an example of one tree providing $51 in total annual benefits, including intercepting over 1,400 gallons of stormwater. The document emphasizes that trees have significant environmental and economic value.

1. In Defense of Trees
BY: JOSH BEHOUNEK & PAUL JOHNSON

2. ISA Pledge
I pledge as an ISA Certified Arborist to:
• Adhere to the Code of Ethics,
• Comply with all accepted professional
standards,
• Deliver safe & competent services with
objective & independent professional
judgment,
• Disclose potential conflict of interest,
and
• Follow appropriate health & safety
procedures to protect clients,
employers, employees, and the public.

3. The Tree..
Green ash – Fraxinus
pennsylvanica
16” dbh
Street Tree

5. I speak for the trees…

6. Negligence
• A person is negligent when he or she fails to act
as a reasonable prudent person under the
circumstances.
Duty of Care
• A landowner is not only held to the duty of
common prudence in maintaining trees on his
property, but is also held to an even greater
duty of inspection to discover possible defects of
a tree in order to prevent it from falling and
injuring others. If risk can’t be eliminated, it
should be mitigated so that acceptable level of
risk is achieved.

8. Risk Rating

9. The benefit$ of trees?
• Carbon sequestration
• Oxygen
• Erosion Control
• Aesthetics
• Energy Conservation
• Storm Water Interception
• Pollution Control
• Quality of Life

10. Annual Benefits
• $51 total benefits
• 1,438 gallons of
stormwater
• Conserve 35.2
Kilowatt-hours
• 320 pounds of CO2

13. Thanks!
Josh Behounek
Josh.Behounek@davey.com
573-673-7530
@treesrtheanswr
Paul Johnson
pjohnson@tfs.tamu.edu
210-494-4771
@treevangelist