Urban Forest Diagnostics was started by Christopher J. Luley, PhD in 2017. The company provides a wide range of urban forestry and arboricultural consulting, research and training services. Dr. Luley’s past clients include municipalities, universities, electrical utilities, homeowner associations and homeowners, cemeteries, golf courses, and attorneys, and private landowners.
Dr. Luley has been providing urban forestry consulting service throughout his 40+ year career in urban forestry and arboriculture. His degrees are from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry (BS-Botany) (MS-Forest Pathology) and Iowa State University (PhD-Plant Pathology working on tree diseases). He managed the Plant Diagnostic Clinic for Iowa State for four years and was State Forest Pathologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation before returning to New York. He worked for two major tree care and consulting companies, and most recently was Vice President and Pathologist with Urban Forestry LLC for 12 years.
Dr. Luley specializes in urban forest management, tree diagnostics, and decay assessment, and has advanced diagnostic equipment to test trees for internal decay. In the past few years, he has given over 100 presentations locally, nationally and internationally on tree related topics to professionals in the field. He has over 50 technical research and popular press articles in publication, and three books in press. He recently created treerot.com to help arborists identify the common wood decay fungi on living trees, and received the R. W. Harris Author’s Award from the International Society of Arboriculture in 2015. In 2022, Dr. Luley received the Brian Skinner Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York State Arborists, ISA Chapter, Inc. Dr. Luley is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified by the International Society of Arboriculture, and is a member of a number of professional organizations including the:
- American Phytopathological Society,
- International Society of Arboriculture
- Society of Municipal Arborists,
- Utility Arborist Association,
- New York State Urban and Community Forestry Council
- New York State Arborist Association, ISA Chapter