Certain Characteristics of Unlicensed Tree Expert Companies Advertising in Maryland, U.S.    (View PDF)

Michael F. Galvin

Abstract: In 2005, Maryland’s tree expert licensing law, initially enacted in 1945, was amended to include tree removal as an activity requiring a tree expert license. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR) sought to identify and communicate with the potentially affected community regarding the pending changes in the law by a number of means, including a search of companies advertising tree services in Maryland by online phone listings. The majority of firms (69.91%) found to be advertising tree services online were unlicensed tree experts (UnLTEs). A significant number of those UnLTEs (40%) did not provide full contact information, including a street address, and no current address was available for over 25% of them. Only 21 of the UnLTEs studied had ever been the subject of a complaint to MD DNR and those firms accounted for only 18.2% of complaints MD DNR received regarding UnLTEs during a 10 year period. UnLTEs were found in approximately equal measure in one of three business types: incorporated, unincorporated, or unknown (sole proprietorships, general partnerships, or noncompliant). UnLTEs are fairly ubiquitous in small numbers across Maryland with the largest concentrations found close to the borders of adjacent states, in the northeast metropolitan area of Maryland’s largest city (Baltimore), and around the state capital (Annapolis).

Keywords: Arborists’ licensing; commercial arborists; tree experts

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2006.034