Case Study: Basalt’s Community Forest and TreePlotter

See how Basalt uses TreePlotter to mitigate tree issues, streamline work order management, and improve outreach on their community forest.

The Town of Basalt, Colorado is perched midway up the Roaring Fork Valley in the Rocky Mountains. Chris Beiser is the Town Arborist and Horticulturist for this mountain town of 4,000 people and is one-half of the team responsible for maintaining Basalt’s gardens, parks, trails, and trees. Chris wears many hats throughout the week and uses TreePlotter™ INVENTORY to stay organized in managing the Town’s 3,000 public trees. We sat down with Chris to learn how he uses TreePlotter to mitigate tree issues, streamline work order management, and improve outreach on Basalt’s community forest.

Emerald Ash Borer

In 2023, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) first appeared on the western slope of the Rockies in Carbondale, Colorado, just 10 minutes east of Basalt. About 12% of Basalt’s canopy is made up of ash trees and though EAB hasn’t been identified in the town yet, about half are now getting EAB treatments every two to three years. Chris logs all treatment details within TreePlotter and set up specific filters to keep tabs on ash within the community, including surrounding HOA-managed ash trees.

Chris is working to progressively remove untreated ash trees and replace them with a variety of species. “The plan is to remove five or ten low-quality ash trees a year, to not alarm residents with a sudden loss of trees. We just removed six small ash trees from the downtown area and are replacing them with Kentucky Coffeetree and Golden Rain tree.” Since ash trees are not native at this elevation (Basalt sits at 6,600 feet), he’s hopeful one day EAB can be eradicated from the valley.

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Access the Basalt, Colorado Case Study

Access the Basalt, Colorado Case Study