Big
Trees Registry
Big
tree designations are made on most species throughout the
United States. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State
Lands maintains the Utah Register of Big Trees, a listing
of the biggest trees in the state. Click
here to see a listing of Utah’s big trees.
The
National Register of Big Trees is maintained by American Forests,
a non-profit organization dedicated to healthy forests in
communities throughout the United States. The American Forests
National Register has been maintained since 1940. The largest
tree of each species in the country is designated as a National
Champion. According to American Forests 2004-2005 National
Register, Utah is home to nine National Champions (see below).
The
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands encourages
all tree lovers, hikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts
to be on the lookout for champion-sized trees. Trees certified
as fulfilling “Big Tree” criteria will be listed
in the Utah Register of Big Trees with the person(s) nominating
the tree listed as champion tree finders. Depending on the
tree’s status, it could also qualify as a national champion
and the person(s) nominating the tree will receive recognition
in the National Register of Big Trees.
So
what is a Big Tree? The first step in identifying a Big Tree
is to take measurements, but keep in mind that some Big Tree
champions are quite small because some species are not very
large – even at maturity. American Forests has established
guidelines for measuring trees, and the Utah Division of Forestry,
Fire and State Lands follows the same guidelines.
To
nominate a tree for big tree status, please
click here for nomination form. For additional information
on big trees, contact Meridith Perkins, Urban Forestry Coordinator, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
at (801) 538-5505 or via email to MeridithPerkins@utah.gov.
Measuring
Guide
(courtesy of American Forests)
Before
nominating a tree, you need to know 3 measurements: (1) Trunk
Circumference (measured in inches), (2) Vertical Tree Height
(measured to the nearest foot), and (3) Average Crown Spread
(measured to the nearest foot).
American
Forests uses the following calculation to determine a tree's
total points:
Trunk
Circumference + Height + ¼ Average Crown Spread = Total
Points
A
nominee will replace a registered champion if it has more
points. When two trees have scores that fall within 5 points
of each other, they are listed as co-champions.
Trunk
Circumference
Circumference
is measured at 4 ½ feet above ground level in inches.
Images courtesy of Robert Van Pelt, Forest Giants Of The Pacific
Coast.
If the tree forks below 4 ½ feet, measure the circumference
of the thickest branch above the 4 ½ feet.
If
a tree is on a slope or uneven ground, measure the trunk on
the high and low sides of the slope and take the average.
Tree
Height
The
vertical height of a tree is measured in feet, which includes
the whole tree, dead or alive. It can be measured using an
Abney hand level, a hypsometer, or a transit.
Alternatively,
you can use the stick method:
Hold the stick at its base vertically, making certain that
the length of the stick above your hand equals the distance
from your hand to your eye. Staying on ground level (or on
the same contour as the base of the tree), move away from
the tree while sighting the trunk base above your hand. Stop
when the top of the stick is level with the top of the tree.
You should be looking over your hand at the base of the tree
and, moving only your eyes, looking over the top of your stick
at the top of your tree. Measure how far you are from the
tree and that measurement - in feet - is the tree's height.
Average
Crown Spread
Average
Crown spread is measured in feet. Add the widest and narrowest
crown spread and divide the total by 2.
(Widest spread + narrowest spread) / 2 = Average Crown Spread.
You can also use the pencil method outlined below to measure
the average crown spread:
Images courtesy of Art Cowley, California's Big Tree Coordinator
and Kay Fermann, Tennessee Division of Forestry.
1. Outline the tree's crown by sticking pencils into the ground
along the outer tips of the tree's branches.
2. Measure the distance between the two pencils that are the
farthest apart (C&D). Write down that number.
3. Measure the distance between the two pencils that are the
closest together (A&B) but still on opposite sides of
the tree. Write that number down.
4. Add the two numbers and divide by two. This new number
is the tree's average crown spread.
Big
Tree National Champions in Utah
According
to the 2004-2005 National Register, Utah is home to six National
Champions.
Species:
Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis)
Location: Uinta National Forest
Circumference: 275 inches Points: 292
Height: 62 feet Spread: 47 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 2007
Nominators: T.A. Walker, W. Crawford, T. Dietz
Species:
Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)
Location: Ashley National Forest
Circumference: 190 inches Points: 328
Height: 127 feet Spread: 43 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 2001
Nominators: A. J. Frandsen and Sherel Goodrich
Species:
Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
Location: Cache National Forest
Circumference: 284 inches Points: 331
Height: 40 feet Spread: 28 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 2006
Nominators: R. P. McLaughlin
Species:
Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Location: Salt Lake City
Circumference: 57 inches Points: 93
Height: 25 feet Spread: 43 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 2001
Nominators: Art Scott and Shirley Hawkins
Species:
Alderleaf Cercocarpus (Cercocarpus montanus)
Location: Neff’s Canyon Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Circumference: 26 inches Points: 50
Height: 21 feet Spread: 11 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 1999
Nominators: Tony Dietz
Species:
Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate)
Location: Cedar City
Circumference: 25 inches Points: 39
Height: 11 feet Spread: 12 feet
Most Recent Measurement: 2002
Nominators: Ron Larson |
