Municipal arborist and city forester jobs: what the class specifications say
How three cities and ISA word the job of caring for public trees: the title, the grade or union class printed on the document, the duties named and the qualifications asked for.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. Cities hire people to look after the trees they own, along streets, in parks and on other city land. The job goes by several titles: municipal forester, city forester, arborist. This page reports what three published city documents and one ISA career profile say about it. It uses no job postings and no pay figures beyond the grade each document prints. The other countries are on career paths in tree work.
A class specification or position description is a city's own written definition of a job. Each document says it is a summary, not a full list of duties. The three below differ in country, in who the employee reports to and in how much management the job involves.
Three city documents compared
| Role and city | What the document says |
|---|---|
| Municipal Forester, Chattanooga, Tennessee | Grade: Public Works department, pay grade GS.13, FLSA status exempt, established June 29, 2007, last revision February 24, 2026. Supervises landscape architect, tree canopy coordinator and landscape inspector positions. Duties named: citywide management of trees and forested areas; directing maintenance and planting of right-of-way trees; urban forestry permitting and code enforcement; policies and plans for all trees; liaison to the Tree Commission; the annual tree planting program; the division budget, procurement and contracts; inspections of urban forest conditions; tree inventory and canopy analysis in mapping software. Qualifications named: a bachelor's degree in forestry, horticulture, landscape architecture, land use planning, urban design or a related field with four years of related experience, or a master's degree, or equivalent experience and education. A valid driver's license, ISA Certified Arborist, and ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified within one year of hire. ISA Board Certified Master Arborist or Society of American Foresters Certified Urban and Community Forester is listed as preferred. The CDL line reads N. Source: City of Chattanooga, Municipal Forester classification specification, read October 9, 2026. |
| City Forester, New Albany, Ohio | Grade: Public Service department, non-exempt classification grade 8, reporting to the operations manager. The document is dated May 30, 2017. Duties named: long-term care of city trees and a tree management plan covering planting, pruning, protection and removal; training city staff; overseeing contracts for tree and landscape installations; tree inventories and mapping; grants; a city street tree program; the tree care budget; liaison to the Parks and Trails Advisory Board; public education; Arbor Day and Tree City USA events. It says the position may supervise seasonal crews. Qualifications named: a degree in natural resources, forestry management, horticulture or a related field; ISA certification, with ISA Municipal Arborist preferred; an Ohio pesticide or herbicide applicator license, or one obtained within six months of hire; and the ability to obtain an Ohio commercial driver's license, Class B with air brake and tanker endorsements, within twelve months of employment. Source: City of New Albany, City Forester position description, read October 9, 2026. |
| Arborist I, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) | Class: a classification specification for CUPE Local 30. The certified level is job code 2130, grade 145. The developmental level is job code 3245, grade 144. The document says it was last updated in March 2016 and originated in July 2008. Duties named: care, removal and disposal of trees and shrubs in all City parks, boulevards, roadways and other City properties; structural risk assessments of individual trees; clearing hazardous trees from light standards, power lines, trails and roadway sight lines; removing small to large trees; planting; operating power saws, chippers, stump cutters and other equipment; driving aerial towers, cranes and tree spades. Work is done under the Forestry Parks Leader or a Lead Hand (Arborist II). Qualifications named: for the certified level, grade 12, ISA certification, three years of urban tree care experience and twelve listed training areas, among them chainsaw operation, fall protection, electrical awareness, tree felling, ropes and rigging; also standard first aid with AED and CPR, WHMIS and air brakes, and a class 3 Alberta operator's licence. The developmental level takes candidates with six months of experience who finish listed courses in steps. Source: City of Edmonton, Arborist I classification specification, read October 9, 2026. |
What the three have in common and where they differ
All three ask for ISA certification. Chattanooga adds Tree Risk Assessment Qualified within a year, New Albany prefers the Municipal Arborist credential, and Edmonton lists ISA certification for the certified level and as preferred for the developmental second step. Chattanooga asks for a degree or an equivalent mix of education and experience, and New Albany asks for a degree. Edmonton's Arborist I states school grade and years of urban tree care experience instead.
The weight of the work differs. Chattanooga's specification is mostly management: staff, budget, contracts, permits and the Tree Commission. New Albany's mixes management with inspecting trees and directing pruning and removal. Edmonton's Arborist I is a field role, with fall protection, felling, rigging and equipment named. The Chattanooga document marks the job as safety sensitive, with a CDL requirement of N, while New Albany asks for a Class B CDL within twelve months.
The ISA career profile
ISA's Career Paths in Arboriculture series describes the municipal arborist or forester as the person who looks after city trees over the long term, runs the plan for planting, pruning, protecting and removing them, prepares the budget, and deals with the public, politicians and other agencies. The profile says people entering the job typically have a tree and plant background, a four-year degree, and experience such as foreperson or supervisor with a city or private tree care company.
On eligibility, the profile says a college degree in forestry, horticulture or a related field will most likely be required, along with 3 to 5 years of experience in tree and plant care operations and ISA Certified Arborist status. It lists the ISA Certified Arborist credential and a commercial driver's license as required, the ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist credential as recommended, and says a state pesticide applicator license is often required. Its listed career moves are to greater management responsibility, such as assistant director or department head, or sideways into commercial or utility tree care. The profile prints no date.
Utility employers are covered on utility line clearance, and the credentials named above are explained on ISA credentials.
Sources
- City of Chattanooga, Municipal Forester classification specification, revised February 24, 2026, read October 9, 2026
- City of New Albany, City Forester position description, May 30, 2017, read October 9, 2026
- City of Edmonton, Arborist I classification specification, CUPE Local 30, March 2016, read October 9, 2026
- ISA, Career Paths in Arboriculture: Municipal Arborist | Forester, read October 9, 2026