tree officers

[Amelanchier]

i think what tony was getting at was how different the 2 jobs are, and probably neither side appreciate the others till they have done it. Tony has done both sides, so i would imagine it can be annoying to hear tree officers being generalized when people dont really know the ins and outs of what they have to put up with/go through. i know i certainly dont!

 

Exactamundo. Its bloody depressing is what it is. People take personal frictions from their own experiences and apply it to one and all...

 

This thread started quite reasonably about the quals / experience that a TO should have and that's where we should have gone with it.

 

Oh well - time will consign another sabotaged discussion to the murky depths of lake arbtalk.

[Alinicoll]

well i guess ideally TO should have both experience in practical arb and also paper to prove they know what they`re talking about. Trouble is, with some years behind me now and having some idea of the thankless balancing act... i don`t think i`d want the job...

[Mark Bolam]

I think a lot of them are under pressure to please everyone.

 

Mr. Bloggs worried about light/encroachment/size? Instead of saying no, leave it alone, end of argument, they approve a 10% thin or 15% reduction.

 

Over the years I've come to realise the best thing you can do to a tree is leave it alone in most cases. However, that doesn't take people and their wishes into account.

 

What to allow / not allow must be a tough call sometimes.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Exactamundo. Its bloody depressing is what it is. People take personal frictions from their own experiences and apply it to one and all...

 

This thread started quite reasonably about the quals / experience that a TO should have and that's where we should have gone with it.

 

Oh well - time will consign another sabotaged discussion to the murky depths of lake arbtalk.

 

I think you sabotaged it yourself Tony by being offended at my eedjit comment. This was my opinion based on the tree officers I,ve had to deal with over the years. Like I said "in my area" I certainly did,nt apply my opinion to one and all as you say. Please dont think any of my comments were aimed at anyone in particular except the TO,s in my area with exception of one.

[woodsmanBSc]

Lets be frank chaps the majority of the Arb industry are know it all tree rats who have undertaken the same poor practices for many years, only doing the minimum to get by! Now its very closed minded to stereo-type all Tree Officers as green college leaving spotty guys and girls. I would advise anyone to walk a mile in another guy or girls shoes before making judgment. To come to such a conclusion merely because a TO puts an emergency TPO on a tree or requires BS 5837 data or does not climb is in my eyes a single minded individual who does not care for arboricultural best practice and only commercial gain.

What we must all do is try and work to best arboricultural practice and understand decisions made by Local Authority Tree Officers. How many of you have read Trees in Towns II 2008) or the Uk Forest Strategy (1994)? There are underline targets agreed at Kyoto/Helsinki in the form of Local Agenda 21’s all councils must work too! By all means ask questions to try and understand a management decision but until you have the whole book in your hand and have read it I think you should think about what you say before you say it. Now you will always get the f**k it attitudes, I have worked 25 yrs in the tree game and have never seen that before. However, unless you read current literature how can you as an old dog learn new tricks? From my understanding as a successful consultant working for a large nationwide arb practices with many Local Authority Tree Officers, CPD is key to improve your knowledge base!

What Steve says is very true! Why would you pass work onto someone slating you”?

I have been luck enough to work on both sides of the coin and understand both commercial/bureaucratic pressures involved in both. The challenge is to reach a professional equilibrium between these two factors.

Of course it is easer to show or tell a man how to dig a hole if you know how to dig that hole yourself. However from my experience a good professional working relationship between contactor and TO is the best way to understand, increase knowledge on both sides and have a Happy.

Age is not a factor! And if you do not grasp this fact you will always be scratching around looking for the next job!

There are 10 year olds that can speak fluent French or know more on a given subject than myself. This only increases my respect for an individual. Professional respect is the key and we should all be honest enough to hold are hands up and ask for advice, even if it’s from a fresh faced TO who can quote the book – on whatever arboricultural subject it may be. And there are many!!

No doubt my comments will ruffle a few feathers but ha! I have a nice house, new truck and a secure job managing 60 staff!

[Paul Barton]

Great post woodsman. (except the last line mr smug!)

[woodsmanBSc]

Sorry bit vain and just goes to show we like to blow our own trumpets!

Sorry if this detracted from the underline point!

[treediver]

Lets be frank chaps the majority of the Arb industry are know it all tree rats who have undertaken the same poor practices for many years, only doing the minimum to get by! Now its very closed minded to stereo-type all Tree Officers as green college leaving spotty guys and girls. I would advise anyone to walk a mile in another guy or girls shoes before making judgment. To come to such a conclusion merely because a TO puts an emergency TPO on a tree or requires BS 5837 data or does not climb is in my eyes a single minded individual who does not care for arboricultural best practice and only commercial gain.

What we must all do is try and work to best arboricultural practice and understand decisions made by Local Authority Tree Officers. How many of you have read Trees in Towns II 2008) or the Uk Forest Strategy (1994)? There are underline targets agreed at Kyoto/Helsinki in the form of Local Agenda 21’s all councils must work too! By all means ask questions to try and understand a management decision but until you have the whole book in your hand and have read it I think you should think about what you say before you say it. Now you will always get the f**k it attitudes, I have worked 25 yrs in the tree game and have never seen that before. However, unless you read current literature how can you as an old dog learn new tricks? From my understanding as a successful consultant working for a large nationwide arb practices with many Local Authority Tree Officers, CPD is key to improve your knowledge base!

What Steve says is very true! Why would you pass work onto someone slating you”?

I have been luck enough to work on both sides of the coin and understand both commercial/bureaucratic pressures involved in both. The challenge is to reach a professional equilibrium between these two factors.

Of course it is easer to show or tell a man how to dig a hole if you know how to dig that hole yourself. However from my experience a good professional working relationship between contactor and TO is the best way to understand, increase knowledge on both sides and have a Happy.

Age is not a factor! And if you do not grasp this fact you will always be scratching around looking for the next job!

There are 10 year olds that can speak fluent French or know more on a given subject than myself. This only increases my respect for an individual. Professional respect is the key and we should all be honest enough to hold are hands up and ask for advice, even if it’s from a fresh faced TO who can quote the book – on whatever arboricultural subject it may be. And there are many!!

No doubt my comments will ruffle a few feathers but ha! I have a nice house, new truck and a secure job managing 60 staff!

 

Not a bad read apart from the self serving 2 liner BS rant at the end.

[Colin Bashford]

Lets be frank chaps the majority of the Arb industry are know it all tree rats who have undertaken the same poor practices for many years, only doing the minimum to get by! Now its very closed minded to stereo-type all Tree Officers as green college leaving spotty guys and girls. .............. etc, etc. ....... And there are many!!

No doubt my comments will ruffle a few feathers but ha! I have a nice house, new truck and a secure job managing 60 staff!

 

Well said that man. Respect:001_cool:

[Dean Lofthouse]

I've never had any problems with Tree officers in this area, I've always found them to be very professional, obliging and helpful.

 

Although the odd decision may be questionable