Journal of Arboriculture 31(3): May 2005 121 Table 5. Differences in values (US$) of three trees based on VAT03 and CTLA (2000) Trunk Formula method, respec- tively. Species Tilia cordata Aesculus hippocastanum Sorbus intermedia DISCUSSION Implementation in Denmark It is evident that in developing a new model, one can make the value of a tree be almost as high as wanted. With the VAT03 model, the goal was to create a model that could be used by the entire green industry in Denmark. Also, since previous court cases compensated for a full-grown and healthy tree at no more than 5.000 Danish Kr. (approxi- mately US$800), there was practically no guide to what values the new model should generate (Holgersen 1995). The primary argument for setting the value of the trees then became what was sought to be realistically accepted by the Danish court system. The following Danish associations have positively acknowledged the VAT03 model: The Danish Tree Care Organization (ISA’s Denmark Chapter), The Danish Council of Landscape Constructors, The Association of Danish Landscape Architects, Practicing Landscape Architects of Denmark, City and Municipal Park Directors Association, The Danish Horticultural Society, and The Danish Garden and Landscape Council. This broad acceptance has given the model certain reliability within the Danish court system from its very introduction. The model has now been used in several, and very different, court cases (e.g., Helsingør Civil Court BS 1-429/ 2003 [multiple trees in a woodland setting] and Frederikssund Civil Court BS 1-2112/2002 [single tree on residential property]), and the model has proved to be trustworthy in the sense that it has been accepted as an argument for economic compensation. The Age Factor is a factor that we felt was necessary to include for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that we wanted the Danish court system to respect the formula. The Age Factor is similar to traditional insurance thinking, in which an item is reduced in price due to its age. However, for a tree, there is no direct relationship between age and loss in value. Therefore, the Age Factor is supple- mented by the Health Factor. If the tree is old and healthy, it may also be justified that it has many years left to live, which will reduce the effects of the Age Factor. In other words, an old tree may not be affected dramatically only because it is old but because it is weak and has few years left to live. The model is likely to be implemented in the other Nordic countries, where the legal and cultural environments Diameter (cm) 43.9 76.4 55.7 Health 0.89 0.88 0.63 Location 0.85 0.83 0.52 Actual age 47 75 100 Expected age 120 100 110 VAT03 (US$) CTLA 2000 (US$) 7,600 8,900 1,100 12,000 37,000 13,900 are similar to the Danish. The model should not be used for trees with a special national or historical status or for trees judged by the public as invaluable. The VAT03 model is by no means a perfect model, but it has proven its worth under Danish conditions. There might be some indications that the values derived by the use of VAT03 are too low. Therefore, the money derived from selling the model is placed in a fund, which will be used entirely to update and improve the model. While it may no longer be possible to drastically change the level of the assessed value of a tree, it will be possible to alter one or several factors in order to increase the value, if so needed. LITERATURE CITED Andersen, F., and T.B. Randrup. 2001. Skab variation i byens træer med flere arter [Create Variation among Urban Trees by Use of Multiple Species]. Videnblade Park- og Landskab, nr. 4.6–25. Forskningscentret for Skov & Landskab. 2 pp. [In Danish]. Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers (CTLA). 1992. Guide for Plant Appraisal (8th ed.). International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. ———. 2000. Guide for Plant Appraisal (9th ed.). International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, IL. Danish Asthma and Allergy Association (DAAA). 2004. www.astma-allergi.dk. (accessed 6/04). Forrest, M., C.C. Konijnendijk, and T.B. Randrup (Eds.). 1999. COST E12, Research and Development in Urban Forestry in Europe. European Commission, EUR 19108. Luxembourg. 363 pp. Grabosky, J., and N.L. Bassuk. 1995. A new urban tree soil to safely increase rooting volumes under sidewalks. J. Arboric. 21:187–201. Hageselskapet. 1998. Taksering av grøntanlegg [Valuation of Green Areas]. Det Norske Hageselskap, Avd. Fag, Oslo, Norway. [In Norwegian]. Harris, R.W., J.R. Clark, and N.P. Matheny. 2004. Arboriculture: Integrated Management of Landscape Trees, Shrubs, and Vines (4th ed.). Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Helliwell, D.R. 2000. Amenity Valuation of Trees and Woodlands. Guidance Notes. Arboricultural Association, Hampshire, UK. ©2005 International Society of Arboriculture
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