Emily Miller

Emily Miller, Bachelor of Science,
Environmental Biology, 2001
Urban Forester/Utility Forester

After graduating from Ohio University, I was employed by ACRT, Inc in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio as an urban inventory forester. In addition to requiring good tree identification skills, the job involved measuring the diameter of trees and recording their condition and location. Doing a tree inventory is a good way for a municipality to find out the condition of its trees and determine whether the locations are appropriate for a tree of that species and size. It is also advantageous for city officials to know (for example) that there is a silver maple obscuring the stop sign at 9th and Main. I carried out tree inventory projects in Westland, Michigan and Berkeley, California. In Berkeley, I used a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to plot the exact location of each tree and recorded the data on a hand-held computer. The Berkeley job gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore the San Francisco Bay area, visit redwood groves, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

After I completed my portion of the Berkeley project, I transferred to the Utilities Division of ACRT because theurban forestry position was seasonal. This division is concerned primarily with keeping power line right of ways clear of woody vegetation. This is important from the standpoint of service reliability and safety. Because sap conducts electricity, a tree can pose a serious threat to people and wildlife if it is allowed to make contact with a primary line. In this job, I was trained to recognize when a tree is close enough to a power line to require that it be trimmed or removed, to map the locations of trees, and to contact customers to advise them of the tree work that will be necessary on their property.

After I had performed these job duties with ACRT for about six months, Asplundh Tree Experts took over the contract from ACRT, and I was hired by Asplundh to perform the same job duties for them. I am currently working with Asplundh as a utility forester and am under contract to American Electric Power in Kenton, Ohio. I am getting a lot of good job experience and have received various certifications through my employer-including CPR certification and a USDA Pesticide Applicator's License. I am also working towards my ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certification.


			Emily Miller, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Biology, 2001 Urban Forester/Utility Forester After graduating from Ohio University, I was employed by ACRT, Inc in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio as an urban inventory forester. In addition to requiring good tree identification skills, the job involved measuring the diameter of trees and recording their condition and location. Doing a tree inventory is a good way for a municipality to find out the condition of its trees and determine whether the locations are appropriate for a tree of that species and size. It is also advantageous for city officials to know (for example) that there is a silver maple obscuring the stop sign at 9th and Main. I carried out tree inventory projects in Westland, Michigan and Berkeley, California. In Berkeley, I used a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to plot the exact location of each tree and recorded the data on a hand-held computer. The Berkeley job gave me a wonderful opportunity to explore the San Francisco Bay area, visit redwood groves, and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. After I completed my portion of the Berkeley project, I transferred to the Utilities Division of ACRT because theurban forestry position was seasonal. This division is concerned primarily with keeping power line right of ways clear of woody vegetation. This is important from the standpoint of service reliability and safety. Because sap conducts electricity, a tree can pose a serious threat to people and wildlife if it is allowed to make contact with a primary line. In this job, I was trained to recognize when a tree is close enough to a power line to require that it be trimmed or removed, to map the locations of trees, and to contact customers to advise them of the tree work that will be necessary on their property. After I had performed these job duties with ACRT for about six months, Asplundh Tree Experts took over the contract from ACRT, and I was hired by Asplundh to perform the same job duties for them. I am currently working with Asplundh as a utility forester and am under contract to American Electric Power in Kenton, Ohio. I am getting a lot of good job experience and have received various certifications through my employer-including CPR certification and a USDA Pesticide Applicator's License. I am also working towards my ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certification.
Environmental and Plant Biology \| OU Front Door
Copyright © 2002 Ohio University