These pictures illustrate the worse side of tree ‘care’ in Chiang Mai City.
No. 1 At the Eastern end of Huey Keow Road a fence from the neighbouring property was removed, powerlines relocated and the raod pavement widened with no space for cyclists nor wider footpath. Advanced trees were then transplanted and placed underneath to power lines. Eight of the sixteen have been dead for months but yet to be removed.
8/16 Dead trees
No. 2 Shows two dead/dying trees resulting from a ‘sensitive’ building development which tried to retain existing trees. There appear to be no regulations in place to guide builders on tree care during construction. A fenced off buffer area around large trees it essential to prevent root damage from cutting or compaction of the soil.
Ignorant developer kills trees.
N0. 3 In Nimmanhaemin Rd shows small Cassia trees maintained by the Roads Department. Here many trees have dead wood and some have died but only this month a works crew was seen trimming the trees.
Roads Dept 'Tree Care'
With these 3 examples each has a different body responsible No.1 Nakhorn Chiang Mai Municipality, No.2 A private owner and No3. The Roads Department. No.4 (below) shows the handy work of the Electricity Authority which regularly cut the Pterocarpus indicus (Pradoo Bahn) trees in Suthep Rd. In the background appears a Rain Tree. In the wild Pradoo Bahn can grow as large as this tree.
More Trees
These pictures are posted following a suggestion by “Green” Steve , who also made a number of suggestions below:
“I have a thought I’d like to share (though I’m most surely not the first to think it) which will hopefully be taken in and passed on to the Mayor:
(1.) really greening the city (and helping clean its air) through promotion of urban reforestation by citizens.
(2.) Banning the cutting or otherwise damaging of indigenous trees over a certain size without a licence. Other non-native trees of particular age (and beauty) should also be protected in the same way that the Fine Arts Department protects landmark buildings. The healthy dipterocarps along the 700 year stadium road and the section of Chotana Road leading out to Salakarn need to be protected. Many cities in New Zealand, the UK and Germany have such bans, which are strictly enforced to maintain the attractiveness and character of their cities .
(3.) If he could use his good offices to facilitate with landowners for tree planting in vacant lots. This would be especially beneficial and relatively easy where there is already significant growth of exotic tree species (which are often invasive species anyway) that would provide shelter and weed suppression for indigenous forest species.
If this could be added to the earlier suggestions to
(1.) not plant roadside trees directly under power lines and
(2.) to offer basic tree pruning training- for people employed by the council and Provincial Electricity Department to clear foliage away from where it can damage power lines. It should be added that these crews would also benefit greatly by being issued proper and appropriate tools for doing this job, such as pruning saws, secateurs and ladders.”
Further to this Chiang Mai arborist Don Cox reports that he recently met with Dr Preecha Ongprasert of the Urban Forestry Unit of the Forest Department in Bangkok and discussed possibilities of tree care training as Steve suggests.
From the range of people both government and private with tree car responsibilities, as the examples above show, the challenge before us is considerable.
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