In order to maintain a healthy environment around campus, NC State’s Facilities Division works to treat, prune and occasionally cut trees that are affected by disease or in path of construction.
Jeff Del Pinal, the grounds program manager, explained trees are often cut for safety purposes.
”We monitor our tree inventory closely,” Del Pinal said. “When we identify a tree that has a risk associated with it, we mitigate that risk by a lot of different ways.”
Del Pinal explained that there are a variety of reasons why trees could be cut.
“Sometimes a tree has a disease and could be dying, sometimes there may be some construction which requires removal of the trees.” Del Pinal said.
According to Del Pinal, whenever a tree is cut down, another is often planted in response.
“Once a tree is removed, it is documented, and there is a reforestation process that takes place,” Del Pinal said. ”We make every attempt to introduce a new tree, either at the same spot or somewhere else on the campus as a part of reforestation effort.”
Thomas Skolnicki, the university landscape architect, explained that tree plantation must take place in accordance with the landscape planning.
“We started some street-tree master plans,” Skolnicki said. ”As trees need to be removed for various reasons, using these plans we get a bigger picture of which [tree] to put back and where, which would provide the Grounds Services with a roadmap for reforestation.”
According to Skolnicki, sometimes an intervention is required by the University Architect’s office to avoid a complicated situation.
“A lot of times, a project needs some construction and we need to intervene to convey that some tree plantation is going to take place at or around that spot,” Skolnicki said. “Fortunately, since we discuss everything beforehand, there has not been any major conflict of interest.”
Del Pinal explained that information is gathered throughout the year to perform maintenance, which can mean cutting trees.
“We do soil sampling and other activities that help us decide about the health of the trees,” Del Pinal said. “We also consult with arborists from outside the university. If we identify a disease through signs of decay or decline, we respond as quickly as possible, identify the risks and how long the tree can persist in the condition.”
According to Del Pinal, the maintenance of trees is an ongoing effort.
“The trees we prune or cut down are used to make woodchips which are later reused on the campus in different forms,” Del Pinal said.
Skolnicki said that public input is valued in the process.
“We always try to gain consensus before planning anything related to trees, because one tree can affect different neighborhoods differently,” Skolnicki said. “We always try to ensure that everyone is informed about our decisions.”
Skolnicki explained that sometimes trees are removed in parts instead of removing the trees altogether.
“A lot of what we do is in collaboration with the grounds services,” Skolnicki said. “Sometimes when a big tree removal takes place, we get a lot of feedback from people, because it surprises and shocks people. People are passionate about NC State which is why sometimes we get a strong reaction.”
According to Del Pinal, the team has on-ground, tree-certified arborists along with other support teams.
“We make the most educated decision we can,” Del Pinal said. “Our intention is to make campus safe, not to cut down trees. We try to furnish people with information that would educate them why the tree is being cut down.”
Del Pinal explained that cutting down a tree is the last resort.
“We try to do all we can to ensure safety without cutting down the tree,” Del Pinal said. “Sometimes we just prune a tree. For canopies we might use cabling. At other times, to avoid any hazard, we remove dead wood from the trees.”
According to Del Pinal, there have been cases where people have resisted cutting down trees.
“We want to make sure that our campus is safe, usable and aesthetically pleasing,” Del Pinal said. “We don’t set out to remove or cut down trees and care for it the best way we can. Whenever we must cut down a tree, it is as a last resort. If somebody notices something they are concerned about, they can contact us. We will look into it and make sure that the situation is looked after.”
