A Forest Management Partnership Guide for Florida Landowners

Press Room

Video Release Transcripts

Benefits of Trees Outweigh the Risks

Charlie Marcus, Urban Forestry Coordinator

The benefits of those trees being there far outweigh the risk. There's just so many things: reducing their cooling bills in the summer time, improving the value of their property, reducing flooding in the community, and wildlife habitats. There is just so many benefits those trees provide. And even the trees that do fall during hurricanes; a lot of times those trees actually save damage to the the buildings that are surrounding them where the tree might fall. But, if the tree hadn't been there the building behind it might have succumbed to the wind.

Make Informed Decisions When Selecting Trees for Storm Resistance

Charlie Marcus, Urban Forestry Coordinator

The thing that we found when we went back and looked at the trees that actually fell - usually they were trees that were not properly maintained over the years, that were allowed to grow past their life-span, and were trees that were not planted in a good place for those trees - in places where they are close to power lines, or places where they just do not have enough room on the ground for all their roots. But the message I'd like to give you is don't be afraid to plant trees, it's safe to do that. Any risks those trees have are far outweighed by the benefits. In fact during the storm those trees, even the trees that fell might have been doing some good. Even though the trees fell, they might have been protecting your property or they might have been protecting somebody else's property just by deflecting the winds. The University of Florida's been doing research over the last 15 years and they've come up with a list that they are going to come out with on the first of July of wind resistant winds and those are the ones that you need to concentrate on if you're planting trees back, particularly if you live in a coastal community.

What should Floridians consider following a hurricane?

Mike Long, Division of Forestry Director

I think some of the main things following a hurricane are: number one; not all the damage is going to kill the trees, so they need to take care and look at the trees. Get either the county forester or the extension to come by and take a look at the health of the tree and the survivability. Number two; a lot of people go out and grab a chainsaw and start trying to do their own things and cut their own trees. Trees that have been damaged by a storm have different twists and so on, and they can splitter and shatter very rapidly. So, people can get hurt very quickly. And last is; if you do have to remove a tree let's get some other trees in the ground. Let's plant some new trees, and get ready and put the right tree in the right place for future storms.

Right Tree- Right Place

Mike Long, Division of Forestry Director

It's proven that pruned trees will survive much better than unpruned trees. Dead or diseased or dying trees should be removed before the storm. Those are the trees that are going to come down and cause additional property damage. When you are planning your yard, you should be looking at maintaining a diversity, a mixture of the different species of trees, different age classes of trees and different heights. So it pays to take the time to look at your land and decide what is the right tree for the right place. If you put the right tree in the right place then your damage from hurricanes or other storms in the state should be lessened.

We hope to be able to help you plan for, prepare for, and recover from storms that may hit you or your lands no matter whether you are in a rural environment or the urban environment. County Foresters and County Extension Offices across the state are more than willing to help you and to provide basic information on steps that you can take to prepare your trees for a survivable situation rather than one of devastation.

Contact Information:
Tony Grossman
Conservation Programs Manager
(850) 414-9907
grossma@doacs.state.fl.us

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