ISA offers a variety of educational material and products to help arborists expand their professional knowledge and experience. Every month, we will feature a product or group of products. In the month of May, ISA is featuring the Best Management Practices (BMP) – Tree Risk Assessment written by E. Thomas Smiley, Nelda Matheny, and Sharon Lilly.

Trees are an important part of the world; however, trees also have liabilities. There is no completely safe tree, and all trees have the potential to fall. Tree Risk Assessment is a systematic process used to identify, analyze, and evaluate tree risk. By understanding and addressing the risks associated with trees, arborists can help make the community safer and prolong the lives of trees.

The BMP – Tree Risk Assessment serves as a guide for arborists to assess tree risk as accurately and consistently as possible, to evaluate risk, and to recommend measures that achieve an acceptable level of risk.

The BMP series was developed to interpret tree care standards and provide guidelines to arborists, tree workers, and the people who employ them. The topics covered in this BMP include:

• Risk assessment basics
• Levels and scope of tree risk assessment
• Tree risk categorization
• Risk reporting
• Tree related conflicts and more.

It is impossible to maintain trees free of risk, and some level of risk must be accepted; therefore, arborists serving as tree risk assessors should be familiar with basic processes, tools, and equipment necessary for assessments. The BMP – Tree Risk Assessment helps arborists better understand treatments that can achieve an acceptable level of risk while also avoiding unnecessary treatments.

The BMP – Tree Risk Assessment is also available in digital format. Purchase your copy today!