The Assessment of Tree Priority at the United States Military Academy    (View PDF)

Thomas L. Green and Robert C. Jones

Abstract: The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, attracts more than three million visitors each year. Trees dominate the 1,700-ac (700-ha) urban community that is part of a 16,000-ac (6,500-ha) heavily forested scenic hillside on the west bank of the Hudson River. A tree inventory was conducted in 1996 and 1997 to help develop a tree management program. This inventory included typical inventory elements used to determine maintenance priority: pruning, removal, and hazard assessment as well as species, size, and condition. This inventory, however, adds an additional element usually not found in other tree inventories—overall priority assessment. Overall tree priority values were determined by assigning specific values to each tree according to species, condition, specimen, function, heritage, memorial, historical, location, and special designation"(tree trail), then adding the values together for a total priority value. Priority values can help the landscape manager better identify the trees that have the most significance on the property and provide the documentation necessary for better allocation of funds to preserve and protect those trees considered the most important. This method of priority assessment can also be used with any tree inventory for college campuses, parks, golf courses, cemeteries, and municipalities.

Keywords: Tree inventory; priority assessment; urban forest management.

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1999.039