Sierra Tree and Fungi provides independent consulting arborist services throughout Sacramento County. I'm Christopher Hodge, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and TRAQ qualified consultant. I assess, diagnose, and document trees, but I don't prune or remove them, which means what I recommend is based on what your trees actually need, not on selling you a cut. No removal crews, and no stake in whether a tree comes down.
If you are looking for a certified arborist in Sacramento, or an independent Sacramento County arborist for a written assessment rather than a sales pitch, that is what I provide. Sacramento County spans valley oak bottomland, established urban canopy, and the rural east county, and each of those puts different demands on a tree.
A Board Certified Master Arborist for Sacramento
If you are specifically looking for a master arborist in Sacramento, here is what the term actually means. Board Certified Master Arborist is the International Society of Arboriculture's highest credential, sitting above the ISA Certified Arborist certification, the profession's baseline credential. It requires years of experience, a substantially harder examination spanning the science, practice, and management of trees, and continuing education to keep. My credential is WE-14385B, and you can verify it yourself in the ISA's public directory through the link below, which is always the first thing I would check about anyone carrying the title.
The credential earns its keep in Sacramento work for one reason: most of what I write here gets reviewed by somebody whose job is to be skeptical of it. City of Sacramento permit staff reading a report under Chapter 12.56, CEQA reviewers weighing a tree impact analysis, insurers deciding whether a risk rating justifies a claim, and opposing counsel looking for the weak point in an expert opinion. A report signed by a Board Certified Master Arborist with the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification starts those conversations from firmer ground, and because I run no removal crews, and my reports disclose any root or soil work I could do myself, no reviewer has to wonder what the recommendation was selling.
Sacramento's trees, and what goes wrong with them
Sacramento calls itself the City of Trees, and the canopy is old enough now that diagnosis matters more than planting. Four groups of trees account for much of what a Sacramento owner will ask a master arborist about.
Valley oak. The native giant of the valley floor, on deep soil along the rivers and old creek lines. Its troubles in town are mostly ours: summer irrigation at the trunk, soil raised or paved over the roots, and now the Mediterranean oak borer, an invasive ambrosia beetle confirmed in Sacramento County.
Elms. The University of California reports that Dutch elm disease has killed several thousand elms in California, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area and around Sacramento. The leaves yellow and wilt, usually first in one part of the canopy, then turn brown and hang on the branch. An elm limb that wilts in summer deserves a fast look, because the disease also moves through root grafts to the elm next door.
Sycamore and London plane. In a cool, wet spring, anthracnose browns the new leaves along the veins and kills twigs, and the tree can look half dead by May. It usually is not. University of California guidance is that anthracnose does not seriously harm a tree unless the defoliation and dieback repeat every year.
Coast redwood. Planted all over the valley, far from the fog it grew up in. Browning tops and thin crowns on Sacramento redwoods are most often a water and heat problem before they are a disease problem.
The oak disease guide on this site covers the oak organisms one by one, with photos, and explains how a tree disease diagnosis is made.
Communities I Serve in Sacramento County
I work with homeowners, property managers, HOAs, developers, and attorneys across the county, including:
- Sacramento
- Elk Grove
- Folsom
- Citrus Heights
- Rancho Cordova
- Carmichael
- Fair Oaks
- Orangevale
- Rio Linda
Arborist Services in Sacramento County
- CEQA arborist reports and tree impact analysis for development review
- Tree preservation plans for subdivisions, infill, and major remodels
- TRAQ tree risk assessments for homeowners, HOAs, and insurers
- Expert witness and litigation support for tree related disputes
- Diagnosis of disease, pest damage, and unexplained decline
Reports That Move Through City and County Review
Much of the tree work in Sacramento County is tied to development. Cities like Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Folsom protect their canopy through local tree ordinances, and projects often trigger CEQA review with tree impact requirements. A clear, well documented arborist report keeps your project moving instead of stalling in revisions. I prepare tree inventories, impact assessments, preservation plans, and mitigation recommendations that planning staff and reviewers can sign off on.
Sacramento's older neighborhoods are full of mature Valley Oaks, elms, and other large canopy trees. These trees raise property values and shade entire blocks, but they need informed care as they age. I help owners understand the real condition of a large tree before deciding its future.
An Independent Second Opinion
If a tree service has told you a tree needs to come down, it is worth getting an independent professional opinion first, the same way you would get a second medical opinion before surgery. Because I have no removal crews, my assessment is based on tree biology, not a sales quote.
Schedule an Assessment
Call or text (530) 391-6100 or use the contact page. Every assessment includes a written report you can use for permits, insurance, legal proceedings, or contractor negotiations.
Sacramento County Arborist FAQ
Do I need an arborist report for a development project in Sacramento?
Usually, yes. Cities like Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Folsom protect trees through local tree ordinances, and projects that affect protected or heritage trees require a permit and an arborist report. Larger projects also trigger CEQA review, which evaluates impacts to trees and the urban canopy. A tree inventory and impact assessment from a certified arborist keeps the application moving.
What is CEQA tree impact review?
CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires public agencies to evaluate a project's environmental effects, including impacts to trees and the tree canopy. For development in Sacramento County this often means a consulting arborist prepares a tree inventory, an impact analysis, and mitigation measures such as preservation or replacement planting that the lead agency reviews before approval.
Should I get a second opinion before removing a large tree?
Yes. If a tree service has recommended removal, an independent consulting arborist can assess the tree's actual structural condition before you commit. Because a consulting arborist runs no removal crews, the assessment is based on tree biology rather than a sales quote. Sacramento's older neighborhoods hold many mature valley oaks worth a careful second look.
What is the difference between a certified arborist and a master arborist?
ISA Certified Arborist is the profession's baseline credential, earned by examination after a few years of experience. Board Certified Master Arborist is the ISA's top tier: a harder, broader examination, a longer experience requirement, and ongoing education to maintain. Both are real credentials worth asking for. For routine tree work a certified arborist is well qualified; for reports that face permit review, litigation, or an insurance dispute, the master credential is the stronger signature.
Are you a certified arborist in the Sacramento area?
Yes. I hold the ISA Board Certified Master Arborist credential, WE-14385B, the highest the International Society of Arboriculture awards, along with the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. I serve all of Sacramento County, from Sacramento and Elk Grove to Folsom, Citrus Heights, and Fair Oaks, as an independent consulting arborist, which means I assess and report but run no removal crews.
Do you help Sacramento homeowners, or only developers?
Both. A lot of my Sacramento County work is development and CEQA review, but I also help homeowners and HOAs directly: a written second opinion before you remove a large tree, a diagnosis of a declining oak or elm, or a tree risk assessment for a tree near the house. If a tree service has told you a tree has to come down, an independent certified arborist can tell you whether that is really the case.
How many arborists hold the master arborist credential?
Few. The International Society of Arboriculture reports that fewer than two percent of ISA Certified Arborists hold the Board Certified Master Arborist credential. It is the highest level of certification the ISA offers and it is earned through an extensive scenario based examination. You can look up any holder, including me, in the ISA directory by certification number. Mine is WE-14385B.
How Sacramento area tree ordinances work
Protections vary by jurisdiction. In the City of Sacramento, City Code Chapter 12.56 protects native oaks, sycamores, and buckeyes at twelve inches or more in diameter, along with other trees at larger sizes, and removing or heavily pruning a protected tree requires an Urban Forestry permit. In the unincorporated county, Chapter 19.12 of the county code protects native oaks on public and private land. Folsom, Elk Grove, and the other cities each run their own ordinance, so the first step on any project is confirming which rules apply to your parcel.
- City of Sacramento City Code 12.56, Tree PermitsThe city tree ordinance, including protected tree sizes, the Urban Forestry permit process, and penalties for unpermitted work.
- Verify ISA certification WE-14385BMy credential record in the International Society of Arboriculture's public directory.
- International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)The certifying body behind the Certified Arborist and Board Certified Master Arborist credentials.
- UC IPM: Dutch Elm DiseaseUniversity of California notes on where the disease occurs in California, how it spreads and what it looks like.
- UC IPM Pest Note: AnthracnoseAnthracnose on sycamore, London plane, ash and elm, the weather that favors it, and when it matters to the tree.