Current tree safety strategy is in conflict with tree conservation Tree owners have a legal responsibility, so called duty of care, to manage the potential risks that a tree might pose to its surroundings. This is translated into practice with the use of a tree safety check system carried out by early stage tree specialists with a variable frequency. They evaluate the status of trees using a risk classification method and eventually assign a specific management action with its corresponding urgency when needed. It is up to the tree owner to follow the specified actions in one way or another. This can be a follow-up check with a higher inspection frequency, a closer examination, an intervention such as a pruning measure or in the worst of the cases, the removal of the tree. The presence of a fruiting body of a fungus is often a reason for such measure. All trees live associated to fungi, and in old trees the chance of developing fruiting bodies on the trunk and branches increases with age. The fungi world is incredibly complex and broad. Even mycologists, experts in the matter, find that there is still more to discover than already learned from them. This fact is directly in conflict with the management of old trees with fruiting bodies, as they are often victims of misdiagnosis. I still get angry about the disappearance of this 151-year old monumental beech just because of the presence of fruiting bodies. Unfortunately, this sort of events happen more than we wished. There is still an ongoing fight to win here, and the collective thought of Let Trees Live is missing. Profile of tree care companies It is striking to see how many tree care companies promote themselves by showing how they fell trees. It is quite common to come across articles, both in company websites and on Linkedin, praising the tough job of removing large trees. I would find it more inspiring if they would give more visibility to projects in which efforts towards tree conservation are central. I am sure your future grandchildren would rather listen to stories where you tried to save the precious life of a tree they still can see and enjoy. Rather than showing the empty space of the felled tree pointed out with your white, lost sensibility fingers due to intense chainsaw action you carried out 50 years ago by cutting trees down. Professionals in the tree sector still need awareness of the social aspect of Let Trees Live. Average age of the city tree The current rotation cycle of urban trees does not correspond to their potential lifespan. Technically, small size trees, such as cherry trees, can live up to 80 years; medium size trees, such as birch, sometimes reach the 120 years; and large size trees, such as linden and oak, grow hundreds if not more than a thousand years. The prerequisite to achieve such long lifespans is that they are minimally disturbed. Basically by keeping your hands in the pocket and staying away from them as much as possible. Current causes of early tree removal in the urban environment are often due to a deficient growing site design. This results in added root pressure, poor growing conditions and, as a consequence, a low performance of the tree in the environment. In the Netherlands, we can also talk about the many soil types that indirectly hamper the growth of trees on the long run. Let’s consider a peat subsoil in a residential area. It may well be that every 10 years the entire public space has to be raised by 30 cm. This is because roads, streetlights and trees sink due to the instability of the organic peat subsoil, but the houses remain stable at the same level because they are built on piles and not directly in the soil. In fact, not only in the Netherlands but in all urban environments there
