In the late 1980s, several state and community foresters worked to develop a hazard tree analysis program to assist managers of large tree populations identify and prioritize tree risk.

This initial analysis would eventually become the Tree Risk Management Program. Unlike other tree risk assessment tools, this program is designed to identify which trees within a group require individual assessment, rather than which tree will fail first. Recognizing that budgets for managing trees are often limited, this program helps managers prioritize the use of available funds to reduce overall risk.