Our industry

[White Noise]

I'm afraid American forums have made me feel rather bitter about the industry here in the UK, we seem stuck in the mud, we are nowhere near as professional as our American chums

 

I can see where your coming from . All that tackle Cherry Picker Chip Truck Combo . Most guys Ive seen on the net from over the water doing tree work have had jeans on and vests and only ear defenders

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I think things have progressed fairly over the past 20 years. The basic research has been done - Shigo / Mattheck and the like, and its been implemented by the majority of 'proper' tree workers and enshrined in British Standards.

 

I suspect the next 20 years will be a bit of a let down compared with that. We should aim for integration not specialisation. That's why I mentioned the FC - hell as far as the lawmakers are concerned, urban trees are their remit anyway. We're nothing but a minority pressure group. Perhaps we should aim for reformation rather than revolution and push our agenda from inside the belly of the beast?

 

I think our tony sorensen is onto a winner!

 

combine reform and unite, but wht would the FC gain from us, we seem to have more to win in this?

[Bundle 2]

I think perhaps some arbs have an "over inflated"opinion of themselves. Im not sure you can neccessarily blame an entire industry for the varied individuals who represent it.

We all as people bring something to the "gig" and thankfully its not the same thing as the next person, time and again ( I think that makes sense )

I think perhaps trees are sometimes managed better without the intervention of arbs to be blunt...I wouldnt say it was the overwhelming case however. I am more distressed by poor treework carried out from within the industry than anything else.

On balance I would agree with Lee......we have an overall positive influence on trees....

I agree the Forestry Commission are far and away the best sponsored Arboreal organisation here in the U.K I too feel this is an oversight.....I am not certain we can blame ourselves for this however.Governments arent renound for listening to obscure pressure groups. We are the industry that needs to promote a higher and more integrated profile.

I am gonna get all negative again...

I see the industry as divided in many ways...or perhaps I see a conflict of interests having a negative influence on a more united agenda?

Local authority v private sector

Sultants v contractor

ISA v AA

F.C v All things amenity

Treehuggers v Capitalists

Planners v Aknowledged Arboreal value

 

Happy New Year folks.....No really. It cant be worse than last years fiascos can it?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

"I see the industry as divided in many ways...or perhaps I see a conflict of interests having a negative influence on a more united agenda?

Local authority v private sector

Sultants v contractor

ISA v AA

F.C v All things amenity

Treehuggers v Capitalists

Planners v Aknowledged Arboreal value"

 

It does make you wonder how we get on with our day to day business when you look at it like that!

 

i guess we all as individuals want to earn our money and peform our duties, each of these groups is just trying to do thiers.

 

i really do not know what answer there is to this, theres a lot of issues there to work through!

 

personaly, Ive never had anything to do with the ISA and its american as far as I can see, not international! and the comment made earlier, the americans are soo NOT more proffesional than us!

 

if I had my way I would have the U.K completley dissasociate from america but thats another debate.

 

I do think tony has a plan in the making, a thought worth looking at at least

 

how could we combine the two sections of arboriculture? FC/AA FAAC (forestry and arboricultural commision) i like it!

Edited January 1, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[Bundle 2]

The case for a Tree Commission

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

The case for a Tree Commission

 

Thanks bundle, great link. maybe its time for

 

Tony, I reckon you ought to start a thread on this subject all of its own?

 

How many of us agree that the idea of combining forces to represent a united front is a really good idea? and what are we going to do about it?

[Andy Clark]

The thing is peeps, is that this sort of thing has been talked about for yeeeeeeeeeeeears.

 

Take John Flannigans article for example....... May 2007! Two and a half years ago now, and there have been many people that have been advocates of an amenity based "tree commission" ever since....... RFS Chartered Arb status for example, is a veritable leap in the right direction.

 

But like Hamadryad has already put, "What do the FC have to gain?" In short, sweet FA!

 

Forestry is a commercial enterprise, where trees are "farmed" as a product for a source of revenue.

Amenity (put simply) is spending money on trees, based on the principle and ethos of "doing the right thing".

 

Commercially, as much as we all hate to admit it, the biggest driving factor in modern arboriculture is investing in amenity works in order to either mitigate against liability......... mainly from a nuisance/H&S/subsidence/utility etc position, or in order to appease planning constraints in relation to urban development.

 

 

And that's what Amenity Arboriculture is.... an investment! Using that to go back to Tonys original industry split between person a or b thing, I think in reality it's more a case of either a) you are someone that does this job in order to do the right thing yourself, or b) you are someone that makes money off the back of other peoples need to do the right thing.

 

 

And I hate to say it peeps, but I think that split goes right to the top.

[Lee Winger]

A lot of people do see us as uneducated farm boys, who only cut down trees

[Bundle 2]

"But like Hamadryad has already put, "What do the FC have to gain?" In short, sweet FA! "

Perhaps they would stand to lose a considerable amount if the funding was redirected with a more amenity focus.

If you were given the x hundred thousand P.A ....what would you do with it?

Its all good and well but if you suddenly become the focus of all the attention...you gotta have a strategy up your sleeve.

What is highlighted is an apparent inability to agree on what is needed, neccessary and desirable whilst paying an appropriate degree of "realistic" attention ( or something ) to the inherent restrictions placed upon us...?

A major failing of this current govt ( IMO ) when they pledge ( & continue to pledge ) unrealistic sums for the next politically expedient wagon or other. Admittedly perhaps my own view but without discourse there can be no union and this is true of everything.

In order for there to be agreement there needs to be tolerance and an accommodation of the various agendas across a more general, agreed strategy...? No one thing is better than a.n. other perhaps but that "strategy" implies an emcompassing overview that is realistic , sustainable and flexible.....taking into account all the various forces and prioritising them in the way neccessary.

 

edit- Yeah, and we're just phick innit...!

Edited January 1, 2010 by Bundle 2

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

i have to ask does anybody know the figures for estimated output contibutions from forestry versus Arboriculture?

 

is the new bias toward biomass going to further enhance the FC position?

 

What generates more jobs, forestry or arboriculture?

 

with these facts we can begin to wonder and ask questions as to why there is such inbalance in funding and support