Photo: Chris Lichty hosting his Trees of Old Town Walking Tour (pre-pandemic)

What does a supervisor in charge of the City’s Forestry Division do?

I am a certified urban forester and arborist and in charge of taking care of the 10,000 trees located within City property. I manage the Branch Recycle Site and the City’s Arboretum as well as all of the trees on right of ways, parks, Coal Creek Golf Course, and open space. A lot of what I do is tree planting. Trees are a finite resource and if we don’t replace them then we’ll be at a deficit. Louisville is a Tree City USA and blessed with the amount of trees we have, but it’s challenging because of the scope of it.

The City has ordinances that govern trees on both public and private property so I’m often asked to evaluate trees on private property. I provide consultations to residents by evaluating whether their trees have specific issues or if people have questions or concerns about what and where to plant trees. If there’s a tree conflict between neighbors, I provide an unbiased opinion and carry out mediation.

The City’s horticulture also falls within my remit so I have two horticulturists in my team, who look after the City’s flowerbeds and shrubs.

What inspired you to become a forester?

Although I’ve been with the City for 18 years, I’m actually from Wheat Ridge and I started working with trees as part of the Wheat Ridge forestry crew at age 15. During the course of my career, I’ve also had my own tree company and worked for the City of Golden, Jefferson County Open Space, and as part of a natural resource crew doing forestry in the mountains. My degrees are in Biology and Geographic Information System Mapping (GIS), which are both skills that help me as a forester.

What’s the best part of your job?

I’ve had so many great experiences throughout my career. I put a lot of stock in planting trees and the tree planting events are probably my favorite memories, particularly the events with kids or the City’s Memorial Tree program, which allows people to plant a tree in memory of a loved one. It’s also very gratifying to see the trees I planted in Wheat Ridge 20 or 30 years ago growing into mature trees.

I know that no one, including me, likes to see trees cut down, but sometimes for public safety or the health of other trees, it’s necessary. When I hear stories in the news of someone being hurt by a falling tree, I know that the difficult decisions I’ve made to remove trees were the right ones.

What’s your favorite part of the city?

I really like the Arboretum because there are so many species of trees, which are all labeled. It’s unusual for a city our size to have its own Arboretum so it’s pretty special. I also like Old Town because there are a lot of older trees, including some that are 100 years old. Each summer, I host a free walking tour in partnership with the Historical Museum where I discuss the trees in Old Town.

What can residents do to support the work of the city?

I am a tree planting promoter. We need to plant trees and they’re a long term investment. As a tree starts to grow and mature, you really start to see the environmental benefits. The easiest thing is to put a tree into the ground, but the hardest thing to do is establish it. Young trees need to be watered, pruned, mulched, and taken care of. Colorado State University Extension has some good resources for planting trees in Colorado, including the best species and where, when and how to plant.

Find out more

Chris will host his next Trees of Old Town Walking Tour with the Historical Museum in June. Subscribe to the Museum’s newsletter to be notified when registration opens.

For more information about general tree maintenance or to request a consultation, contact Chris at 303.335.4733 or CLichty@LouisvilleCO.gov. Chris can also be contacted about the City’s Memorial Tree Planting Program.

The Branch Recycle Site, located just to the north of the Louisville Cemetery on Empire Road, is open to Louisville residents the first full weekend of each month, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free compost is available for collection during Branch Recycle Site open hours, courtesy of Republic Services, while supplies last. Residents can collect free mulch outside the gates at any time.

The Colorado State University Extension provides a number of free fact sheets on tree selection and planting:

• GardenNotes: Tree Planting Steps
• Colorado State University Extension: Yard and Garden