Tree 54, a handsome mesquite located on the north side of Clubhouse Drive near Sarival Avenue, has a replacement value of $3250.
Tree 54 GIS tag
Susan Knox Wilson
Have you noticed the tags hanging on all the trees in our common areas? They’re new and part of an inventory system our landscaper, AAA, has put in place to help us manage our beautiful desert “forest.”
“We’ve always had a tree inventory,” noted Bill Barnard, PebbleCreek General Manager, “but our new landscaper suggested we begin using a geographic information system (GIS) that utilizes chip-enabled tags on the trees to let us know where they are located, their condition, size and species. This tree tracking system is a valuable tool for helping us manage the forest. Using the GIS data, we can track an individual tree, like tree 54, know how old the tree is, when it was last trimmed, when it’s due for trimming again or maybe needs to be replaced.” If you need help managing trees take a look at https://www.treesurvey.com.au/.
The most recent GIS print out shows 6978 trees, of at least 28 different species, in PebbleCreek’s common areas. It’s important to note that this number does not include several thousand additional trees on the golf courses which are yet to be counted. When asked if he could guess the value of our trees, Ken Krause, AAA Landscape Manager, replied, “This is an awesome question and fascinating. I give insurance quotes all the time — after a car accident or monsoon damage. Some trees can be as much as $10 to $15,000 for replacement costs, especially mature trees over 25 years old. Others can be replaced for $240. Conservatively, for 6978 trees, if we averaged $2,500 a tree that would be $17,445.000. Trees are very valuable in a desert environment.” I’ll say!