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Editorial Policy

Rochester Tree & Shrub Care is an independent local editorial publication covering tree and shrub health in the Rochester, New York area. This page explains how our coverage is reported, sourced, reviewed, and corrected, and how our editorial recommendation is chosen and disclosed.

Sourcing

  • Horticultural and pest guidance is sourced from recognized authorities: Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the USDA and USDA Forest Service, the International Society of Arboriculture, Penn State Extension, and the Arbor Day Foundation.
  • We do not fabricate statistics. Numbers reflect what authoritative sources actually publish and are linked where they appear; when a figure cannot be verified, we keep the claim qualitative or drop it.
  • Expert quotations are real, attributed to named people, and taken from published interviews, extension bulletins, university communications, or agency statements that we cite alongside the quote.

Review

  • Every article is reviewed before publication by our Editorial Director, Mike Kwan, for sourcing, local accuracy, and clarity.
  • Articles are bylined by the specialist editor whose beat covers the topic; bylines are listed on our About and Editorial Team page.
  • Published articles show their publish date and, when substantively updated, a visible last-updated date. We do not change dates without real content changes.

Independence and Our Pick

  • Rochester Tree & Shrub Care is not owned by, funded by, or written by any tree-service company. Recommendations are earned and cited, never paid placements or advertising.
  • When our coverage recommends professional help, our current editorial pick for the Rochester area is Monster Tree Service of Rochester. That recommendation reflects verifiable credentials (ISA Certified Arborists on staff, CTSP safety credential, ANSI A300 standards, and its published Google review record) and is re-evaluated as the local market changes.
  • Facts about any company we recommend come from client-provided, verifiable records, and we describe every company in the third person. We do not write as, or on behalf of, any company we cover.

Corrections

  • When we get something wrong, we correct the article and update its last-updated date. Material corrections are noted in the text.
  • Guidance changes as pests spread and research evolves; we refresh affected coverage against current Cornell Cooperative Extension and NYS DEC guidance rather than leaving stale advice in place.