Expert Tree Forensics and Appraisal

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Owner and principal consultant with Peninsula Environmental Group, Inc., based in Port Angeles, Washington. A Board-Certified Master Arborist (since 2018), a Registered Consulting Arborist (since 2019), Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified, and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. My career in the environmental industry began in 2003; practicing as a full-time consulting arborist, forester and urban forester since 2015. Professional portfolio includes individual tree and forest-wide health, disease and risk assessments, tree management around construction, urban forest management, tree and forest policy development, forest management, environmental restoration and tree appraisals for both public and private clients. Have assessed tens of thousands of individual trees and numerous private and public forested sites up to 5,000 acres, with approximately 50% of work devoted to tree forensics and expert witness testimony related to plant appraisals, tree death, views, tree care, and injury/damage claims. Instructor for the Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification course, training other professionals in the application of the Guide for Plant Appraisal, 10th edition, and general plant appraisal concepts. Frequent lecturer for arborists, engineers, and contractors on topics related to shoreline ecology, steep slope and wetland habitat restoration, tree risk management and tree protection during development. Retained for litigation support in more than 90 projects and court-qualified as an expert witness 9 times for issues involving tree risk assessment, tree appraisal, and arboricultural standards of care, for clients including City of Seattle, the City of Mercer Island, and Snohomish County, among others. • Acquired designation of ISA Board Certified Master Arborist in 2018. Only 10 individuals within the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the ISA held a Board Certified Master Arborist credential at that time. • As of January 2021, Washington had 14 ASCA Registered Consulting Arborists (RCA) and 30 ISA Board Certified Master Arborists (BCMA) among 417 ISA Certified Arborists. Only 7 individuals in the state, and less than 100 nationwide, held both the RCA and BCMA credentials at that time. • Obtained the ASCA Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification (TPAQ) in December 2023 and became an ASCA-approved TPAQ Instructor Apprentice in March 2025 after attending the second instructor training course in the program’s history — one of approximately 12 nationwide. • Routinely provide expert opinion and testimony on arboricultural and vegetation management to areas of legal practice that include land use, real estate, trespass, personal/property damage, and negligence. • Retained as expert witness on over 90 projects and have provided sworn testimony over 20 times. Experienced with both plaintiff and defense. • Won 2023 Planning Association of Washington Sustainability Award for City of Tumwater Urban Forest Assessment and Management Plan. • Have consulted, reviewed, or revised over a dozen urban forestry plans, natural resource plans, and tree-related public policy and codes for jurisdictions across Washington state. • Developed urban forest benchmarking tools to be used in urban forest planning. Benchmarked Washington State urban forestry planning and practices to assist in urban forest planning/development. • Provided critical area policy and environmental policy to thousands of clients in western Washington since 2014, including policies related to trees, wetlands, shoreline and other environmental assets. • Represented commercial arboriculture on Washington Urban & Community Forestry Council 2017-2024.