Valuable trees, subsidy

What is it?

The Tree Fund of the municipality of Aalten contributes to the maintenance and research of trees that are registered on the Aalten municipality's List of Valuable Trees and are owned by private individuals. The subsidy is intended to contribute to the costs of maintenance and in problem situations. This involves soil testing and improvement, as well as above-ground work such as crown pruning and crown anchoring.

Check valuable trees

What to do.

Application procedure for obtaining a subsidy

  • Check whether the tree is registered on the municipal list of valuable trees at .  
  • The owner or authorized representative submits the fully completed "Tree Fund Grant Application Form," accompanied by a copy of the quote from a professional arborist who will carry out the work.
  • The subsidy application form can only be used for one parcel/property at a time.
  • After submission, you will receive confirmation that your request has been received.
  • Grant applications will be processed in order of receipt until the established grant ceiling has been reached.
  • The municipality will assess your application form for a maintenance contribution from the municipal tree fund.
  • Municipal employees may Make an appointment with you Make an appointment assess the tree in question and the proposed measures on site.
  • You will receive either an acceptance or a rejection within 6 weeks.
  • When you make a commitment, you will also receive a so-called 'Self-Declaration Form'. You must complete this form within one month of the work being completed and send it to the municipality together with a copy of the invoice from the company that carried out the work.
  • After receiving the fully completed Self-Declaration and a copy of the invoice, a check will be carried out by an authorized municipal employee. Once approved, the contribution will be paid out as soon as possible. The municipality does not provide any advance payments.

Arrange directly

You can use the form below to apply online for registration on the List of Valuable Trees or for a maintenance subsidy.

Registration form for valuable trees list

Maintenance subsidy application

Privacy

All information you provide to us is handled with care. Personal and/or address details will only be used for the purpose for which you provided them.

Additional information

Amount of contribution and nature of work

  • Each year, the municipal council decides whether to add funds to the Tree Fund and, if so, how much. Subsidies are only granted if the Tree Fund has sufficient resources. Once it's gone, it's gone.
  • The municipal Tree Fund reimburses up to 75% of the actual costs incurred, but the maximum contribution will never exceed the amount allocated in advance. The amount of the contribution will be communicated at the time of approval.
  • The contribution includes applicable VAT.
  • The contribution is a subsidy for maintenance costs such as: research into the quality of the tree and its growing location, structural improvement and protection of the growing location, crown pruning and crown anchoring, at the discretion of the competent municipal official.
  • All interventions on the tree must be aimed at maintaining the valuable character of the tree.
  • The application form for the Aalten Municipal Tree Fund subsidy can be requested from the municipality.
  • The self-declaration form for work on trees on the valuable trees list can be requested from the municipality.

General obligations associated with the granting of a contribution

  • Work for which a contribution has been granted must be carried out within one year of the date of the commitment. The municipality must be notified of the start of the work no later than one week before the work commences.
  • If the work cannot be carried out in accordance with the commitment, this must be reported immediately in writing to the municipal contact person. The contact details are stated in the grant letter.
  • All work on valuable trees must be carried out by a professional arborist (who must at least hold a European Tree Worker certificate). The national Tree Foundation maintains a list of arborists who may be able to carry out this work for you (see www.bomenstichting.nl). This list is, of course, not exhaustive.

General Requirements Applicants for a Grant

  • The applicant is aware that submitting the application form does not entitle them to a contribution.
  • The applicant declares that work has not yet commenced. The applicant is aware that the contribution will not be granted if work has commenced before a decision has been made on this application.
  • If it appears that work for which a contribution has been granted has not been carried out sufficiently, the municipality has the right to withdraw the grant.

If a tree is not registered with the municipality and you believe that it should be included in the List of Valuable Trees, you can still register the tree. See the section 'Arrange directly'.

Criteria for inclusion on the List of Valuable Trees in the municipality of Aalten

The criteria of the Tree Foundation are used for registration as a monumental tree on the Valuable Trees List of the municipality of Aalten. A tree must Requirements two Requirements in order to be included in the national register and as a monumental tree on the list of the municipality of Aalten:

  1. The tree is at least 80 years old.
    • An exception may be made for, for example, a memorial tree or a tree with significant dendrological value. The trees may not be in irreparably poor condition (i.e., in principle, the trees must be capable of being restored to reasonable condition), and complete decay of the tree may not be expected within ten years.
  2. The tree has at least one of the following specific characteristics:
    • Iconic: Due to its age and appearance, the tree is irreplaceable for the character of the area and is of national importance.
    • Cultural-historical value:
      • Commemorative tree: planted to mark an important event (e.g., birth, marriage of a prince or princess).
      • Marker tree: planted for marking purposes, such as boundary trees in agricultural areas or landmark trees along rivers.
      • Cross/chapel tree: planted next to a chapel or crucifix to emphasize the location.
      • Special pruning shape: for example, topiary, double-stemmed.
  3. Dendrological value: The tree is of a rare species or variety. Or it has a special growth form due to natural causes, for example, double-stemmed or multi-stemmed.
  4. Natural value: The tree is significant because it is home to rare plants or animals.
  5. Rarity: The tree is the thickest, oldest, or tallest in the municipality, region, or province.

Criteria for registering special trees

The criteria below are used for registration as a special tree on the Valuable Trees List of the municipality of Aalten. These criteria show some similarity to the list of the Tree Foundation, but are not based on it. The adjustments are tailored to municipal situations.

The basic criteria for registration are:

  • The estimated age must be significantly higher than that of the trees in the surrounding area, and the tree should preferably be at least 50 years old (this does not apply to memorial trees, elements of cultural and historical value, and trees that form part of the main green structure).
  • The tree must not be in irreversibly poor condition; complete decay of the tree is not expected within 10 years.
  • The tree has a habit that is characteristic of the species or can develop into this characteristic habit.

In addition, there are specific criteria:

  1. With regard to spatial meaning:
    • the tree determines the character of the environment;
    • the tree forms part of a completely intact group of trees or uniform avenue planting that reveals a characteristic structure in the city or landscape;
    • the tree is a landmark/point of orientation;
    • The tree has the potential to grow into a monumental tree.
  2. With regard to the monumental/special value:
    • the tree is of a species, type, or age class that is rare in Aalten;
    • the tree forms part of a monumental environment (monument policy document) or a culturally and historically valuable object;
    • The tree is a memorial tree commemorating an important social event.
  3. With regard to the above-average ecological significance:
    • the tree is part of a biotope of plant or animal species that are scarce in the Aalten area;
    • The tree forms a link in the chain of elements that make up the ecological infrastructure or, in a completely paved area, occupies a position that can fulfill the function of a "stepping stone" in the ecological infrastructure.
  4. Other Requirements:
    • the tree has dendrological value;
    • The tree is remarkable for its habit, for example, its exceptional height, thickness, pruning method, and so on.
    • A tree is special when it meets two basic criteria and one of the specific criteria.