ANSI Police
twalsh@uwsp.edu
Tue, 11 Mar 1997 03:36:59 -0600
Am I the only one who is tired of spending time and energy to combat the tree butchers of the world?
Ididn't think so. Some other people who care about trees and I have been discussing what it could be like to have some type of enforcement branch for ANSI. I do not mean to imply that every time one makes a rip cut the ANSI Police will rappel out of helicopters and make an arrest.
My vision is a little bit more subtle but no less effective. I would be targeting the habitual/repeat offenders, not the occasional slip of the saw. I am talking about the companies out there who routinely top and mutilate trees because, "the tree is too tall", "the customer wanted it," "if I don't do it someone else will and I will lose the sale." I think that you all know some companies like this.
Instead of badge wearing, gun toting police, picture instead a few dedicated people with good cameras, writing ability and with good connections to the local media. Everyone knows who the butchers are, and since we can't arrest them, (yet), why not stick their picture in the local media and linclude the portion of the ANSI Standard that they are violating, the information about the proper way to do it, and a listing of all the local ISA Certified Arborists.
I volunteer my limited photography skills and time to do a test run in my community. Let me know what people think about the idea.
...And before people get excited and start screaming about how I am trying to tell them how to run their pruning operations let me restate: this idea is not meant for those people who care enough about trees to do what is right.The idea is to force the butchers into proper tree care or out of the industry. It seems useless to me to have industry standards that are optional. Lets put some bite into the ANSI bark.
I am making an assumption here that if you are reading this message of off the ISA Webpage, that you have a certain concern for trees and would support any measures to insure their proper care. If this message offends you or threatens you than I suggest that you rethink what the industry is all about.
Tim Walsh