Assessment of risk trees is something that´s becoming more and more common in the management of trees. For tree managers, consultants and arborists, it´s therefore important to know the factors that influence whether a tree should be classified as a risk-trees and the actions that can be taken to reduce the risk.

To be able to increase the knowledge of risk-trees the Swedish Tree Association have for some years offered the TRAQ-course (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification), which is a system for assessing the risk of trees. The course is owned and controlled by the ISA and the Swedish Tree Association has no control over who gets accepted to participate in the course. The TRAQ-course have in a short time become well-known and have now been used in municipal procurements.

TRAQ is developed by ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) and more information via ISA´s homepage

Pre-Requirements

The course is owned and controlled by the ISA and the Swedish Tree Association has no control over who gets accepted to participate in the course. To be able to attend the course ISA requires that the participant has knowledge and written proof of that knowledge within at least four of the five areas listed below.

• A basic knowledge and comprehension of tree biology, especially as it relates to basic tree anatomy, wood structure and function, and wood decay
• The knowledge to identify the major tree species in the local area
• A fundamental knowledge of arboricultural practices, including pruning and tree support systems
• The knowledge to assess tree health and diagnose biotic and abiotic disorders common to trees in the local area
• A basic understanding of soil science and local soil conditions

The following type of educations/certifications has been approved by ISA:

• ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®
• ISA Certified Arborist®
• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
• A degree in arboriculture, urban forestry, traditional forestry, or horticulture that is part of a national qualifications framework or is from a college or university that is accredited or recognized  under a system that is substantially similar to accreditation.
• AHC30810 Certificate III in Arboriculture (Australia)
• ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA) status
• Connecticut Arborist License
• European Tree Technician
• European Tree Worker
• Fachagrarwirt Baumpflege
• Louisiana Arborist License
• Manitoba Arborist Training and Licensing Program
• Maryland Tree Expert
• Massachusetts Certified Arborist
• New Hampshire Arborists Association Certified Arborist
• New Jersey Certified Tree Expert
• New Zealand National Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 4)
• Rhode Island Arborist License
  Society of American Foresters Certified Forester
• United Kingdom Qualifications and Credit Framework Level 2 Certificate or Diploma in Arboriculture

If you do not have any of these qualifications, it is your own responsibility to obtain an exemption from ISA by filling in their form and getting their approval. All exemption must be approved before you register for the course.

The Swedish Tree Association has previously helped with the contact with ISA, but since this takes an incredible amount of time, we have now decided that all contact with ISA is to be done by the participants. As a support in the contact, you will below find the applications forms that has previously been accepted by ISA. However, there are no guarantees that these will work for your particular application since ISA's assessments may have changed.

Hortonom

Hvilan Arborist

Landskapsarkitekt

Landskapsingenjör

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