Damage to Maine Trees Minimal

(December 19, 2008)

Augusta, MAINE – Trees around the state suffered minimal damage from the Dec. 11 ice storm -- far less than they did 10 years ago -- and there’s no need to react too quickly, according to Maine Forest Service officials.

Homeowners obviously need to deal immediately with branches on their homes. Branches and trees on power lines also must be dealt with by calling local power companies.

There’s no necessity, however, “for people to go running out with a chainsaw and cutting all their trees,” Dave Struble, Maine Forest Service director of Forest Health and Monitoring Division, said Thursday.

It also is important, he said, “not to fall prey to the slick-talking operator with a truck and saw.” Homeowners should be wary of those offering fly-by-night, emergency tree-cutting services, he said.

“Make haste slowly,” Struble advised.

Even if a hanging limb is clear of power and utility wires, homeowners should assess the severity of the damage before trying to repair or remove the branch.

“When injury to a tree requires climbing or chainsaw work, call a licensed arborist for help,” Jan Santerre, Project Canopy director, said. “An arborist is a tree-care professional, trained to assess and correct storm damaged trees, especially damage from wind, snow and ice. More importantly, arborists have the experience to diagnose how much of a tree can or should be saved.”

Referring to the January 1998 ice storm, Struble said “there are going to be some spots where it’s terrible, but it isn’t as widespread in the state as it was in ’98, and nowhere near the amount of ice.”

MFS entomologist Charlene Donahue went up Thursday in a helicopter to assess the ice storm damage and reported ‘minimal damage” to trees, most of it occurring in the very southern part of the state. The damage occurred mostly in the Alfred, Sanford, Parsonsfield and Eliot area, she said.

No softwood damage was visible from the air, though much of it has been cleared already by work crews. Primary damage to trees was seen in areas recently cut, she reported.

“The trees just hadn’t developed strength to stand on their own,” Donahue said about those damaged.

While in the air Thursday, Donahue used GPS technology and a digital sketch pad to record the damage, which will be downloaded to map the area, she said.

While some southern Maine areas have spots of localized damage, Struble pointed out that “ice tends to be a very spotty phenomenon”, with the amount of ice on trees dependent on local temperatures. Tree damage also appears worse along the edges of open areas, including fields and along Interstate 95, on trees lining streets and “in a stand where trees are not mutually supporting each other.”

“Even if people are seeing significant damage in specimen trees in their yards, it’s not necessarily that bad in the woods,” he said.

If individual trees already were weak, the Dec. 11 storm “was the stress event that could put them over the top,” Struble noted. Many of the state’s weaker trees were culled in the 1998 storm, he said.

The MFS director emphasized the need to wait to assess complete damage to forested areas. Much of the extent of tree damage won’t appear until leaf-out in spring, he said.

“The woods can wait a little longer,” Struble said.

To perform minor storm-damage repairs, Santerre said that homeowners should consider the following guidelines:

Use the “three step” method. To remove a broken or split branch without causing further damage, always make three distinct cuts. First, cut about halfway through the underside of the limb, approximately 12-inches from where it joins the tree. Second, beginning about 2-inches farther out than the first cut, saw through the topside of the branch until it splits off. Finally, remove the remaining branch stub. When cutting branches, remember not to cut into the branch collar or branch bark ridge. Making cuts flush to the tree trunk damages stem tissue and can result in decay.
Repair torn bark. To deter insect infestation, remove all loose or ragged bark from a damaged area with a sharp knife. Cutting the bark away in an oblong, football-shaped pattern will help prevent further damage and speed the healing process. Do not cover wounds with paint or other compounds. Trees have their own protection mechanisms that will efficiently seal the wound.
Refrain from tree “topping.” To encourage the re-growth of strong limbs after storm damage, do not “top” the tree. Topping -- the process of severely cutting back the main branches of a tree with the intent of preventing future limb breakage -- actually results in weakly attached branches that are very susceptible to damage from snow accumulation and high winds.
Have patience. If a split limb is not in danger of tearing away and causing more damage to the tree or surrounding structures, it may not require immediate attention. Homeowners can reassess the damage periodically and, if necessary, complete the repair(s) within the next growing season.

“Repairing tree damage can be easy for many homeowners,” said Santerre. “Consult the Maine Forest Service or a licensed arborist first, and you’ll arm yourself with the knowledge to handle any pruning project safely and correctly.”

The Maine Forest Service provides technical expertise on topics such as new tree planting and tree maintenance through Project Canopy, a cooperative effort of the Maine Forest Service and the Pine Tree State Arboretum.

For more information, call the Maine Forest Service toll-free at: 1-800-367-0223 or go to: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs

For more information about Project Canopy, go to: http://projectcanopy.maine.gov.