Preserving Heritage Trees: Sustaining Living Landmarks in Historic Landscapes by JP McDonnell

Preserving heritage trees requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates arboriculture, planning, design, development, and landscape management to ensure their longevity within historic landscapes. This presentation will discuss key frameworks such as the ANSI A300 standards for tree care, historic landscape preservation principles, and methodologies for long-term tree health assessment, including Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) protocols. Additionally, case studies will illustrate how cities have successfully incorporated heritage tree preservation into urban planning and historic site management. Presenter: JP McDonnell JP McDonnell is a Registered Consulting Arborist (#777) and Board-Certified Master Arborist (SO-7485B) with extensive experience in urban tree management and appraisal. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from Sewanee: The University of the South and a Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech. JP is certified in Tree Risk Assessment and ASCA Tree and Plant Appraisal and is licensed as an arborist in the state of Maryland (License #002775). He actively contributes to the advancement of the arboriculture industry by serving on multiple committees, including the ANSI A300 Tree Care Standards Committee (as SavATree's voting representative), the ISA Certification Test Committee, the ASCA Membership Committee, and the UCFS Industry Trends Committee. He also previously served on ISA’s Appeals Committee for three years. Rooted in a passion for forestry and urban ecology, JP chose a career in arboriculture to promote the environmental, social, and economic benefits that healthy urban forests bring to communities.