For a long time, many politicians and residents in Florida have called for action against falling large trees. The problem has been a problem for years, and it seems that Florida is getting worse as the years pass. While some of the reasons can be blamed on Mother Nature, others have been caused by greedy developers.
One of the biggest problems that Florida has had with tree removal over the years has been that many large companies have tended to cut down these trees, rather than consult with local municipalities to have them removed. Developers have a different way of doing things, and are not necessarily concerned with following any regulations. They will simply cut down the trees, and move on to the next project. It is up to the local officials to try and keep them from cutting down more trees, or issuing fines for not properly removing felled trees. For this reason, a bill was recently introduced in the Florida state legislature that would require all developers to get prior permission before cutting down a tree.
Rep. Gary Phillips (R) sponsored the bill, and said that the problem of falling large trees in Florida is getting out of control. He cited statistics that showed where there is tree cutting, often an area of 50 acres or more has been destroyed. Phillips went on to say that he thinks the only way to fix this problem is to take some steps that will prevent the destruction of more trees. He mentioned the recently passed measure in Maryland, which requires developers to get prior approval before cutting down trees. He also pointed to Florida's plan to put in a new law that requires certain criteria to be used when removing a tree.
In an interview with the News-Press, Rep. Phillips said he wants to make sure that arborists are not overcharging customers for their services, and that consumers are aware of what the price of tree trimming is. He also said that he wants to make sure that tree care professionals are following the proper procedures when they are cutting down a tree. He said he was not familiar with the specific number of felled trees per day in Florida, but he thinks that the problem is a serious one, and that it needs to be addressed. He said he is concerned that tree trimming fees are not regulated.
Tom Lee, of Arbor Day Florida, told lawmakers that he has seen many cases where people have sent him pictures of dead or falling trees that were clearly marked with an arborist's license number. He told the News-Press that people have sent him many photos of dead trees over the years, but he has never seen any that were clearly marked with the license number. He believes that the fact that these dead trees were clearly marked as having been trimmed by a licensed arborist could make the difference in whether the owner is caught and prosecuted.
Tree removal in Florida is something that is done every day. According to the News-Press, in one case this month, a tree service removed a large tree that had fallen near a busy road. Lee told the paper that sometimes the public doesn't know that a tree has been felled and will assume that someone has picked it up for a pruning. The state's attorney general is reviewing this case to determine if it should be a case of criminal neglect. If the state finds that it was criminal negligence, it may be able to file charges against the homeowner.