We’ve survived the summer of 2023, but many of our trees haven’t; you can see the effects of the summer’s weather with a drive through Clear Lake Forest. It’s been estimated that over 300 trees in Clear Lake Forest have died as a result of the drought.
Dead trees can pose a threat to people and property. In July 1984, a 26-year-old recent law school graduate named Greg Abbott (now our Governor) decided to take a break from studying for the bar exam by going for a run in a west Houston neighborhood. While out running, a large oak tree along his path cracked and fell on his back, leaving him forever paralyzed from the waist down.
So now what? Our Board of Directors policy is to deal with any imminent safety concerns immediately; that includes the trees on CLFCA owned property, such as Baronridge Park. We’ve already cut down several trees in the park; we hope homeowners will apply that same “imminent danger” safety policy to their personal property.
The CLFCA has no authority to direct homeowners to remove “at risk” trees, nor should we; trees on a homeowner’s property belong to and are the responsibility of the homeowner. What we can do is help educate and encourage homeowners to actively seek professional guidance (an arborist) to determine if their trees pose a threat, and what can be done to save affected trees that aren’t dead.
A quick assessment of a tree’s health is determined by their leaves; if a tree’s leaves are brown and are still attached to the limbs, the tree is most likely dead and needs to be removed. Conversely, if the leaves have fallen, the tree might be able to be saved.
The link below can help educate you regarding Texas tree laws; working with an arborist can save you time, money, and hassle, it can help avert issues between neighbors, but most importantly, it can help prevent serious property damage or injury to our families and neighbors. If you have any questions, please contact Chip Lacy at chiplacy@outlook.com.
For more information about Texas Tree Law, click here: https://guides.sll.texas.gov/neighbor-law/trees.
Sorry that I previously posted the wrong link for Maria’s tree service. Here is the correct website:
https://mariostreetx.com
The website link on Karen's post was posted in error; if you want to contact Mario's Tree Service, please call 281-658-8194.
We had two very large trees, and one small tree, that died. We used Mario’s Tree Service to take down these dead trees, grind stumps and trim the other trees. Mario’s did an excellent job and I highly recommend their service.