LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – One man in the City of Henderson is tasked with overseeing the maintenance of over 30,000 trees throughout the city.
Municipal Forester Preston Goodman says maintaining 30,000 trees made up of over 100 different tree species makes for a busy day.
“That’s the fun part of my job, I have an outline for what I’m going to do for the day but I never know when it’s going to change,” Goodman says.
He makes sure the right type of tree is planted in the right place at the right time, keeping the valley’s desert climate at top of mind.
“We’re very selective about what trees we plant. We want trees that are native species of desert adapted. So the trees that you see we’ve picked because they do well here,” he says.
Sometimes, he’s in the field pruning trees for himself. Other times, he’s training his 126 person staff.
It’s a position he says he somewhat fell into, after moving to Henderson in 1967 and then joining the City’s Parks and Recreation team in 1999 working maintenance.
“Riding around the parks on a mower, I was always looking up at the trees. It fascinated me. So, eventually I went to school and got my degree in horticulture, and became a certified arborist. Then trees was just my natural transition after that,” he says.
Now, as the city continues to grow, he says his job responsibilities are growing with it.
“As time goes on and we get bigger, water costs more, it becomes a higher value asset, so we have to be very careful with how we water and how much water we use,” he says.
They’ve recently been adapting to the Grass Removal Mandate, AB 356, which can explain why residents might notice some trees being removed throughout the city.
“When we go to remove turf we do a site analysis, and if we feel that a tree is either in poor health or won’t survive the turf being removed from it, we pick a tree, one or two, to replace that tree,” he says.
For resident’s trees, Goodman recommends following the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Guidance.
During the Spring Season, March 1 through April 30, they recommend watering trees three times a week but not on Sundays.
Click here to find your watering days and group.
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