Menu
Log in

Welcome to the GAA

A resource for tree care professionals and the public to protect and care for Georgia's trees.

    • Home
    • Trees & Law Workshop: Guide to Neighbor Law and Negligence Workshop

    Trees & Law Workshop: Guide to Neighbor Law and Negligence Workshop

    • April 22, 2022
    • 8:00 AM - 4:15 PM
    • Bessemer Civic Center – 1130 9th Ave SW, Bessemer, Alabama 35022


    The Alabama Cooperative Extension System invites you to attend two educational opportunities on trees and the law. These workshops will familiarize audiences with some of the key legal concepts associated with managing urban trees. The workshops are independent from each other, allowing people to choose to attend one or both. However, the topics coordinate well with each other, so people are encouraged to attend both.

    For those wishing to earn continuing education credits, these workshops can be counted toward Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for ISA, landscape architect, and Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits. 

    Cost: $60. Late registration (after April 8) is $75.

    When: April 22 from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

    Where: Bessemer Civic Center – 1130 9th Ave SW, Bessemer, Alabama 35022

    Registration

    Registration is required to attend this workshop. Register for this webinar series online at www.aces.edu/go/Treesandlaw.

    Agenda

    • 8 – 8:15 a.m. – Registration
    • 8:15 – 8:20 a.m. – Welcome
      • Beau Brodbeck, Auburn Extension at Auburn University
    • 8:20 – 9 a.m. – Key legal Concepts of Negligence and Duty
      • Scott Rouse, Alabama Forestry Commission
    • 9 – 10:15 a.m. ­– Neighbor Law
      • Joe Samnik, Expert Tree Consultant, LLC
    • 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. – Break
    • 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. – Concepts of Risk and Liability
      • Skip Kincaid, ISA Southern Chapter
    • 11:30 – 12:15 p.m. – Lunch (provided)
    • 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. – Good Steps and Bad Steps
      • Skip Kincaid, SA Southern Chapter
    • 1:15 – 1:30 p.m. – Break
    • 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Case Studies in Municipal Tree Law
      • Joe Samnik, Expert Tree Consultant, LLC
    • 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. – How are Alabama Communities Addressing Tree Risk and Liability?
      • Beau Brodbeck, Auburn Extension at Auburn University
    • 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Break
    • 3:30 – 4 p.m. – Panel Discussion and Questions
      • Joe Samnik, Skip Kincaid, Scott Rouse, and Beau Brodbeck
    • 4 – 4:15 p.m. – Evaluation and Conclusion

    Presentation Descriptions

    Key Legal Concepts – This presentation will provide an attorney’s perspective on the legal concepts of negligence, liability, and duty.

    Concepts of Risk and Liability – Covers the basic concepts of “duty of care” and “standard of care” as they relate to arborists and others that work around trees. These basic concepts create a foundation for further discussion of the risk associated with trees. The presentation will include a primer on the tree risk assessment process as found in ANSI A300 and how a tree risk assessment impacts the inspector’s exposure to liability.

    Good Steps and Bad Steps – Municipalities, commercial arborists, tree consultants, and anyone that works near trees must take steps to protect the public, clients, and themselves by reducing or not reducing risk. The presentation will discuss the importance of these steps and will end with case studies that will promote discussion and motivate actions that will reduce risk.

    Case Studies in Municipal Tree Law – A presentation and discussion of actual case laws from lawsuits regarding trees and negligence will be presented. This case law defines that conduct you should be conducting yourself under when consulting or otherwise working with trees. A good consultant knows tree biology. A great consultant knows case law. The mistakes have already been made. This presentation will teach you not to repeat them.

    How are Alabama Communities Addressing Tree Risk and Liability? – Urban trees provide a countless ecological, economic, and social values. However, they can also pose risks and lability concerns when they fail. This presentation will review results for a 2021 study describing how Alabama communities mitigate risks associated with increasing storm frequency and address liability concerns related to trees.


    Georgia Arborist Association


    Email:  info@georgiaarborist.org
    Phone:  (404) 913-1422
    Address:  GAA ~ P.O. Box 2516, Decatur GA 30031

    Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software