City forester gathering data on trees

City contract forester Dan Galecki and two assistants have been out on the streets of Sisters in recent days, mapping and assessing all of the city-owned trees in the City of Sisters right-of-way. They are building a database that will help the City monitor the health of trees more efficiently in the coming years.

"A lot of municipalities do this all over the country," Galecki told The Nugget. "It's a money-saver and a time-saver."

The foresters are recording the attributes of each tree - its condition, GPS coordinates, and address. Each tree is evaluated for its percentage of compromise. With this information in a database that can readily be queried, foresters can pinpoint which trees need particular attention, which trees are more likely to suffer damage from storms, etc. So, instead of having to drive around looking for troubled trees, foresters now have the information about where to go and what to look for at their fingertips.

Connor MacGeehan and Rebecca Franklin are assisting Galecki with the work.

"We'll be walking around the streets or driving," Galecki said. "We'll walk up to trees and we'll take measurements and a GPS coordinate."

The project, which was approved by the City's forestry board, is expected to run through fall and wrap up in December. The database will be active and dynamic for years to come as trees grow or decline.

Local folks who encounter the foresters out and about on their rounds are encouraged to ask any questions they may have about the project.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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