(Revised July 2022)
Cities throughout Florida have seen an increase of trees being removed due to the perception of risk and or concerns over an existing tree's health. Subsequently there have been concerns over unqualified individuals performing these assessments, and or those violating industry ethical standards. Like other professional assessments the determination of tree risk should only be handled by qualified/licensed individuals with relevant experience. In this case that would be by an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist with the TRAQ (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification). If you're concerned about a tree on your property these are the individuals you should be consulting with first before making a final decision. In many cases the tree defects observed are correctable and complete tree removal often isn't necessary.
Regarding the State of Florida residential exemption for tree removals otherwise known as Sec. 163.045, recent changes took affect starting July 1st. These included revising the definition of residential property, documentation requiring a tree risk assessment be performed by an ISA Certified Arborist onsite, along with incorporating the ISA Risk Assessment BMP, and setting the qualification for the exemption being permissible if complete removal of the tree is the only way to reduce the level of risk below Moderate. The Florida Chapter of ISA has also composed a guideline to walk individuals through the process of determining if their tree(s) would qualify for removal under the State of Florida Exemption. The guideline is available here.
Regarding observed or suspected ethics violations (for example purposely submitting inaccurate or incomplete reports, falsifying information etc.) there is a policy in place for reporting violations directly to ISA available here. I've also included a link to an article authored by the Florida Chapter of ISA specifically addressing the "Ethics of Arboriculture".
Ultimately, as an ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist with TRAQ qualification my goal remains to help educate others as to the values of using a properly credentialed tree professional and also provide information on how to report those who unethically abuse this privilege.
