Davey Tree : Urban Forestry Services : Project Profiles : City of Paducah, Kentucky: Mobile Community Tree Inventory (MCTI) and i-Tree Training


City of Paducah, Kentucky: Mobile Community Tree Inventory (MCTI) and i-Tree Training

In June 2007, Davey Resource Group completed a tree inventory of 3,007 park trees located in Bob Noble Park for the City of Paducah. The goal of the inventory was to provide accurate tree data to allow City personnel to manage the existing tree stock in a more efficient manner. The inventory included locating and mapping all trees using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and pen-based computers.

The tree data were delivered in ArcView® shapefile format along with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing the entire tree database. A workbook detailing all tree maintenance requirements and locations was provided to the client for field operations. In addition to the tree inventory, Davey also prepared a large map of the inventory study area.

Davey Resource Group also delivered a MCTI formatted database that can be easily integrated into the i-Tree MCTI utility. As a basic tree inventory data collection application, MCTI allows communities to conduct tree inventories and perform analyses at various levels of detail and effort. In addition, MCTI includes a tree risk determination system. This system assigns a hazard rating to each tree, which enables the city to prioritize their maintenance activities based on potential risk.

A Davey Certified Arborist senior urban forester taught an intensive half-day i-Tree training course to a City of Paducah Public Works Department staff person. The purpose of the training was to teach basic data collection using i-Tree’s MCTI data collection interface on handheld computers and i-Tree software. This will allow City staff to continue the inventory process and provide data to assist the City in maximizing the benefits of their street tree resource.