ANGELES CITY – The Save the Trees Coalition has called on the local government and environmental offices to review protocols for tree pruning operations and ensure adherence to local guidelines and global standards.
This, in the wake of the pruning of trees along the Fil-Am Friendship Highway “for public and road safety.”
Conceding that the operation does not directly violate the environmental protection order against the cutting of the trees, the STC said “pruning them to the point of baldness and mutilation poses long-term risks.”
Among the risks cited by STC are increased heat in urban spaces with the reduction of latent heat dissipation and increase in air temperature; leaf loss reducing natural air pollution buffer with the lowered carbon absorption of the trees; lessened capacity to slow runoff and mitigate flooding by intercepting less rainfall negatively impacting the city’s natural flood control mechanisms.
According to the STC, the mutilation and topping of the trees are not aligned with global standards and local guidelines.
It cited that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Department Order No. 93 Series of 2014 mandated that “only weak branches with a V shape or narrow angle, or a diameter less than 5 cm are considered for removal.”
“Tree thinning must also not remove more than 25% of a living crown, which is aligned with ANSI (American National Standards Institute) A300 standards,” it added.
While guidelines may be set aside “should a healthy branch pose safety concerns,” the DPWH order also noted that the purpose of pruning also “encompasses the maintenance of tree health by managing its structure.
The STC also cited the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) A300 standards that “tree thinning must also not remove more than 25% of a living crown.”
Denying the trees the chance of proper recovery, their mutilation and excessive pruning disregard the guidelines and protocols to the great risk of the city and its citizens, the STC said. Punto News Team/Photos: D.F. Zulueta/STC FB Page