Free Resource from All Things Trees

The Colorado Springs
Tree Safety Checklist

Walk your property with this checklist. If you check any box in Sections 1 or 2, call a professional — don't wait for a storm to decide for you.

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1

Call Immediately

Any of these = urgent hazard

Tree on or touching a structure
Roof, fence, outbuilding, or vehicle. Any contact is active damage and structural risk.
Large hanging or broken limb
Partially broken limbs can fall without additional wind. A "widow maker" over a walkway, driveway, or play area is an active hazard.
Significant visible lean that has changed
If a tree has shifted its lean — especially after rain or wind — root failure may be imminent.
Root heaving on one side
Soil mounding or cracking around the base of a tree on one side means the root system is failing.
Tree near a power line with contact or encroachment
Do not approach. Call your utility company and a tree service immediately.
2

Schedule This Season

Not urgent today — but don't wait

More than 25% dead wood in the canopy
Dead branches fall. A canopy that's more than a quarter dead needs to be trimmed or the tree evaluated for removal.
Cracks or splits in the main trunk
Vertical cracks, included bark between co-dominant stems, or cavities in the trunk are structural failures waiting to happen.
Fungal growth at the base
Mushrooms or shelf fungus growing from the root flare or lower trunk indicates internal decay. The outside often looks healthy.
Significant dieback from the top down
Crown dieback that progresses from the top is often a sign of root stress, disease, or pest infestation — including EAB in ash trees.
Tree over a structure with no clearance
Trees whose canopy fully covers a roof, even without contact, are a storm liability. Clearance pruning should be scheduled.
Leaning over a neighbor's property
You may be liable for damage from your trees. A lean toward a neighboring structure warrants professional evaluation.
3

EAB Check — Ash Trees Only

Skip if you don't have ash trees

Ash trees have compound leaves (5–11 leaflets per stem), opposite branching, and diamond-pattern bark when mature. Not sure? See our identification guide.

Thinning canopy — sparse coverage at the top
One of the earliest visible signs. The top of the crown loses density while lower branches still look healthy.
Unusual shoots sprouting from the trunk
Epicormic growth (shoots directly from the bark) is the tree's stress response. Common in moderately infested ash.
Increased woodpecker activity
Woodpeckers drilling into ash bark are feeding on EAB larvae. 'Blonded' patches of stripped bark are a reliable early indicator.
S-shaped galleries under loose bark
Peel back a small section of loose bark — EAB larvae carve distinctive S-shaped tunnels just under the surface.
D-shaped exit holes in the bark
About 1/8 inch wide with a flat bottom. Adult beetles emerge through these in late spring/early summer.
4

Fire Risk Assessment

WUI communities — Black Forest, Monument, Woodland Park

Colorado state law requires defensible space in WUI communities. Check each zone around your home.

Dead trees or standing snags within 100 feet
Dead standing trees — especially beetle-killed ponderosa — are high-intensity fuel. Remove them.
Vegetation touching or within 3 feet of the structure
Zone 1 starts at the foundation. Any plant material within 3 feet of your home is a direct fire path.
Tree canopies touching each other within 30 feet
Connected canopies create a fire highway. Zone 1 trees should have 10+ feet of separation between canopies.
Shrubs growing under trees (ladder fuels)
Plants that bridge the ground to tree canopy allow fire to climb from brush to crown. Remove all ladder fuels in Zone 1.
Grass or debris more than 4 inches tall within 30 feet
Cut grass short in Zone 1. Remove accumulated pine needles, leaves, and woody debris regularly.
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