Davey Resource Group

Arlington National Cemetery: Urban Forest Inventory

There are few places in the United States that inspire reverence and create a sense of history as does Arlington National Cemetery. When construction of Arlington House began in 1802, the estate was not intended to be a national cemetery, but rather a living memorial to George Washington built by his adopted grandson. Robert E. Lee came to live at Arlington House through marriage to Washington's great grand-daughter. Lee lived at Arlington House until 1861 when Virginia seceded from the Union. In 1864, the grounds of Arlington House were appropriated for use as a military cemetery. Today, more than 260,000 people are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, including President John F. Kennedy and citizens who have served our country from all walks of life.

The atmosphere of history and respect is defined at Arlington National Cemetery by the monuments, grave markers, and trees. Indeed, the thousands of trees that complement Arlington are living memorials, many of them planted as testaments to events and people. Because of the importance of this national treasure, it can be stated that these are some of the most valuable trees in our country. How does Arlington National Cemetery care for such important trees? It starts with a detailed inventory of all trees and shrubs, and to conduct such an inventory Arlington National Cemetery turned to a company whose history also dates back to the 1800s The Davey Tree Expert Company.

Davey's consulting division, Davey Resource Group, used Global Positioning System receivers (GPS) to accurately map over 8,000 trees and shrubs in Arlington National Cemetery. The Cemetery uses ArcView GIS mapping software and Davey's GIS Map Browser to manage the spatial information for trees and shrubs.