Urban forestry is a relatively new field. The Council meets quarterly. It provides a sounding board for ideas and an opportunity for a few tree companies and the various government and nonprofit organizations concerned with trees to find out what each group is doing. Problems our trees face Houston is fortunate. According to Cordova, our trees have few major pests, and we have enough rain to support them.
Most people agree that the biggest problem is development.
Some developers believe it's cleaner, easier, and cheaper to remove trees from a site before construction begins than to build around them. Even developers who value trees and leave them standing can damage them unknowingly beyond repair. The soil around the roots can become compacted from heavy equipment or supplies, the bark can be damaged by equipment, or trenches dug through the root zoone. Sometimes pavement over the roots is damaging. Any of these can lead to death of the tree, even years later.