TDA Foresters Offer Advice on Storm Damaged Trees and Forests

NASHVILLE – From tornados in the east and flooding in the west to general storm damage across the state, the recent wave of severe storms has caused significant damage to the trees in both urban and rural areas. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is offering advice for homeowners and forest landowners.

 

While cleanup of downed trees is critical to recovery efforts in urban areas, damaged yard trees that are still standing should be left undisturbed unless they present an eminent hazard.

 

“Even though the top has been blown away, there is still the possibility that the tree may live,” said TDA urban forester Bruce Webster. “Trees have an amazing capacity to re-grow after damage, so it is good to give the tree time to recover.”

 

There are several factors for tree owners to consider when assessing damage:

 

Flooded trees will have to be watched over time. Flooding causes more root damage than top damage, so the damage may not be visible for several weeks. And, trees are less tolerant of flooding during the growing season of April through September than they are November through March.

 

After trees appear to be recovering, homeowners should consult a certified arborist, a trained and credentialed tree care professional. Homeowners can find a certified arborist in their area at http://www.isa-arbor.com/faca/findArborist.aspx.

 

In rural areas, many forest landowners face the challenge of salvaging forest products from felled trees. Salvaging timber can be challenging and hazardous so it should be handled by professionals. Timing is also critical due to high heat and moisture, which will cause defects making the wood less merchantable.

 

In some cases, salvaging small pockets of timber may not be practical, or the damage may be too extensive. However, in cases where the timber may have just been blown over, opportunities to salvage timber will exist until June or July when staining and decay set in.

 

Landowners seeking to pursue timber salvage should:

• Select a logger willing to cut the trees and deliver products to market.
• Do market research and negotiation a fair price and terms.
• Work only with a logger under a signed, written agreement or contract.
• Take into consideration the perishability of felled trees if harvest is delayed.
• Consider federal income tax implications.

For further advice contact an area forester with Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. A listing of area foresters by county can be found at http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/forestry/directory.html 

For more information about other programs and services of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture visit www.tn.gov/agriculture. For information and safety tips on wood debris burning, visit www.burnsafetn.gov.

 

###