In article ,
"Morris Dovey" wrote:

| Is there any value to a walnut that has grown in the city what
| would b e a fair value per board foot?

Certainly - sawed and dried it's worth the same as other walnut of the
same grade.

Agreed... But that doesn't mean the standing tree will be as attractive
to prospective buyers or that felling and milling to lumber will be
economically feasible given its urban location.

Urban trees have a number of drawbacks to felling for lumber: overhead
wires; proximity to structures; and heavy equipment access to name a
few. This doesn't take into account any embedded "hardware" that was
attached to the tree over the years for swings, lost pet signs, hammock
hooks, horseshoes, etc.

The felling crew's experience for an urban tree may require a whole lot
more expertise - as well as insurance - than a rural felling would
require. If the homeowner is expecting to make money on selling the
tree, make sure the crew knows how to take the tree down so the
harvestable portions are retained and undamaged. Also, the more valuable
wood is often in the root burl with the first few feet of the trunk
above the ground - but then you need heavy equipment to remove this
section as well as hauling out and loading up the many ton portion of
the main trunk.

In a rural setting, the land owner is rarely too concerned with the
surrounding ground being torn up by back hoes, loaders and semi's - the
residential landowner may be a lot less accommodating to such damage.

In other words, yes it can be done, but it can also cost a LOT of money
just to get the tree down safely and loaded up for the mill.
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
- Wiley Miller, Non Sequitur, 1/24/05