Arborist Report for 327 Bessborough Close (Talbot Mackenzie & Associates)

July 15, 2015

Sandra Hamel 327 Bessborough Close Victoria, BC V9B 5M3

During our July 14, 2015 site visit, at your request, we inspected recent work to replace a retaining wall on the water side of the house on this property at 327 Bessborough Close where it is close to a grove of protected young Garry oak trees. The subject trees grow in a location that was previously disturbed during the construction of the house, and where loose blast rock and soil had been placed part way up the trunks of the trees.

The most recent disturbance in this area has removed some of the blast rock and soil from beneath the retaining wall and placed it within the grove of oak trees, resulting in additional fill around the trunks of the trees closest to the area of construction of up to 30 cm in depth. Our exploratory excavation to the depth of the original fill layer did not indicate that any root structures from the oak trees had been encountered or disturbed or that the trunks of the trees had been injured.

We recommend that the recently placed backfill rock and soils be carefully removed from around the trunks of the trees back to the layer of historical backfill soils. It is our understanding that this fill material is to be placed behind the new retaining wall once the construction has been completed.

It is our opinion that there will not be a detrimental or long lasting impact on the health or structure of the oak trees related to the fill soils remaining around the trunks of the trees for the short time period until the wall’s completion, at which time the fill around the tree trunks will be removed.

Please do not hesitate to call us at 250-479-8733 should you have any further questions. Thank You.

Yours truly, Talbot Mackenzie & Associates

Tom Talbot & Graham Mackenzie ISA Certified & Consulting Arborists

Disclosure Statement

Arborists are professionals who examine trees and use their training, knowledge and experience to recommend techniques and procedures that will improve the health and structure of individual trees or group of trees, or to mitigate associated risks. Trees are living organisms, whose health and structure change, and are influenced by age, continued growth, climate, weather conditions, and insect and disease pathogens. Indicators of structural weakness and disease are often hidden within the tree structure or beneath the ground. It is not possible for an arborist to identify every flaw or condition that could result in failure nor can he/she guarantee that the tree will remain healthy and free of risk. Remedial care and mitigation measures recommended are based on the visible and detectable indicators present at the time of the examination and cannot be guaranteed to alleviate all symptoms or to mitigate all risk posed.