Forests - Forestry Expert Witnesses

Daniel J. Maple, BCMA, RCA, MA, TRAQ, is a Registered Consulting Arborist, Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Municipal Specialist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and holds a Commercial Applicators License. As of August 2017, there are 284 RCAs, 698 BCMAs, and 884 MSs in the world. Mr. Maple has the distinction of having all of these qualifications as well as others. With over 30 years of industry experience, Mr. Maple has provided ethical, scientific sound arboriculture solutions to both the public and private sector. During this time, Mr. Maple owned and operated a tree service, and was a first responder in several natural disasters that resulted in thousands of tree failures. His investigations into the tree failures and the experience gained makes him uniquely qualified among his peers as a risk assessor and risk mitigation planner. Mr. Maple has used his years of hands on experience along with his formal education to advise states, cities, parks, developers, managers, HOAs and the private sector. Litigation Support - As an expert witness, Daniel J. Maple is well respected for his ability to document evidence, superior communication skills, forensic investigations, and pragmatism. He is articulate and knowledgeable under cross-examination. Mr. Maple's services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. Areas of Expertise:

Line of Sight / Safety Issues Tree Accident Investigation / Reconstruction Tree Defect Personal Injury Plant Damage Assessment Tree Property Value Tree Appraisal Valuation of Landscape Plants

Tree Inspections and Risk Assessment Border and Boundary Line Tree Disputes Negligent or Intentional Timber Trespass Insurance Claim Investigation Lightning / Storm Damage Evaluation Tree Preservation During Construction Loss to Eminent Domain Taking

View Daniel Maple's Consulting Profile.

Bobby L. Lanford, PhD is a Forest Operations Consultant with over 35 years of experience. Dr. Lanford is currently an Adjunct Professor at both Auburn and Clemson Universities. Dr. Lanford provides litigation support services on court cases involving Forestry Accidents, Product Liability, and Contractual Disputes. He has been retained for his expert witness services approximately 25 times. Dr. Lanford offers his expertise to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense. Selected Cases Include:

• Contract Disputes
• Forest Harvesting and Thinning Practices
• Wood Handling Facilities Safety Standards and Procedures
• Chainsaw Felling Personal Injury
• Truck Off Loading Standards and Procedures
• Timber Inventory and Mensuration
• Logging Machines' Productivity and Performance
• Potential Production and Profits of Logging Operations and Wood Products Facilities

View Dr. Lanford's Consulting Profile.

David D. Hunter is a Certified Arborist with over 40 years of experience in the fields of Forestry and Arboriculture. Mr. Hunter has consulted and been brought in as an Expert Witness for Arboricultural and Forestry issues in Oregon and other parts of the United States. He has worked with historical sites and trees, and has taught climbing and safety techniques to tree care professionals. Mr. Hunter's background includes managing all aspects of the tree-service company from worker safety and customer satisfaction. He has specialized knowledge of the use of Resistograph and Air Spade for tree health and safety inspections. Mr. Hunter has been called upon to testify in court and help clients reach resolution prior to trial. His Expert Witness services are available nationwide. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Arboricultural and Timber Trespass Issues
• Tree Forensics
• Tree Inventories
• Tree Surveys
• Tree Preservation Plans
• Hazard Tree Evaluations and Reports
• Appraisal of Loss Reports regarding Landscape Value Loss
• Arborist Reports

Training & Certifications:

• Certified as an Arborist PN-1068A, by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) - 1997-Present
• Graduate American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA), Arboriculture Consulting Academy
• Tree Failure Training Conference, Certified as Evaluator Portland, OR
• Registered Consulting Arborist membership in ASCA, RCA #408 (2003)
• US Forest Service Hazard Tree Risk Assessor Trained
• Certified Tree Risk Assessor (CTRA) by PNW ISA # PN-0150 (2006)ISA Tree Risk Assessor Qualified (2017)

View David Hunter's Consulting Profile.

Julian Forbes-Laird is a Chartered Arboriculturist, Arboricultural Association Registered Consultant, experienced Expert Witness and Principal Consultant of Forbes-Laird Arboricultural Consultancy Ltd. Mr. Forbes-Laird has a professional practice working throughout the UK and overseas. He covers all aspects of arboriculture, specializing in planning, tree safety and litigation related matters.

Mr. Forbes-Laird is supported by a team of regionally based consultants, giving him national and international reach. He sets the standard for client service, works throughout the UK and abroad, provides commercially realistic strategic advice, prepares sensitive yet practical management plans, works within project design teams to evolve arboriculturally defensible layouts, wins planning appeals, and handles an enormous amount of work under pressing deadlines helping clients' achieve the best outcome. 

Mr. Forbes-Laird is widely recognised as an authority on legal issues pertaining to trees and is an experienced Expert Witness. His expert services include Pre-Action Case Evaluation, TPO Prosecutions, Forensic Accident Investigation and Tree Root Damage to Buildings. Other Services Include:

• Planning for Developers and Local Authorities
• Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's)
• Safety Inspections
• Subsidence
• Expert Witness
• Landscape Design

John Booth, the Principal Consultant and Practice Director of Sylvanus Arboricultural Consultants Ltd., is a Chartered Aboricuturalist and Chartered Environmentalist and one of the UK’s most widely qualified Arboricultural Consultants. He has over 25 years experience in both the private and public sectors and has written numerous articles and papers for respected publications including the International Journal of Urban Forestry for which he is also a referee.

Mr. Booth and Sylvanus Ltd. are regularly instructed by both developers and Local Planning Authorities (LPA’s) who are keen to ensure a satisfactory outcome from the planning process, (i.e. an appropriate balance between tree retention and realizing a site's development potential). All such work is carried out in accordance with the guiding principles of British Standard 5837 ‘Trees in Relation to Construction – Recommendations.’

Mr. Booth is a Bond Solon/Cardiff University trained Expert Witness and a member of the Expert Witness Institute. He has many years experience in both courtroom and planning enquiries.

Services Include:

Tree Inspection & Survey - Single Tree, Large Population, Mortgage Lending, Safety and Subsidence Issues

Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's) and Conservation Areas - Detailed Specifications for Tree Work Applications for Trees with Statutory Protection

Trees and Development - Tree Surveys for Submission with Planning Applications
Tree Constraints Plans (TCP’s)
Tree Protection Plans (TPP’s)
Arboricultural Impact Assessments (AIA)
Arboricultural Method Statements (AMS)