La Grande Urban Forester Teresa Gustafson named Pacific Northwest 2025 Arborist of the year
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, October 24th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – During a recent La Grande community Town Hall meeting, it was announced by Parks and Recreation Director Stu Spence that La Grande Urban Forester Teresa Gustafson had officially been named the 2025 Arborist of the Year by the International Society of Arboriculture’s Pacific Northwest Chapter.
A certified arborist and the City’s urban forester since 2006, Gustafson was nominated for her decades of experience and indomitable dedication to improving and maintaining the city’s urban trees and green spaces. Other praises cited by nominees include her involvement in the Oregon Peace Tree Program, dedication to local youth education, and maintaining La Grande’s status as a Tree City USA for 32 consecutive years. When asked about the award, Gustafson commented:
“It’s a really glowing nomination…I was really touched by it and the other folks who signed off on it.”
The official announcement reads:
“The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture is pleased to present Teresa Gustafson with the Arborist of the Year Award 2025.”
The full nomination letter to the International Society of Arboriculture’s Pacific Northwest Chapter can be read below:
(Nomination letter to the Pacific Northwest Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture):
Pacific Northwest Chapter
International Society of Arboriculture
8/27/25
Dear Awards Committee,
It is my distinct honor to nominate Teresa Gustafson, Urban Forester for the City of La Grande, for the Pacific Northwest Chapter ISA’s Arborist of the Year Award. Teresa has been with the City for 19 years, and as she approaches her well-earned retirement, I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition. Teresa’s career has been defined by dedication, vision, and service to both trees and people, leaving an enduring legacy in La Grande, across Oregon, and throughout our industry.
As Urban Forester, Teresa has faithfully stewarded the city’s trees for decades. She has ensured that all residents, regardless of neighborhood or background, enjoy the countless benefits that a thriving urban canopy provides. For Teresa, trees are not just amenities, but essential community assets that contribute to health, equity, and quality of life.
Among her many accomplishments:
Teresa has been a Certified Arborist since 2006, a credential that has been central to her success as La Grande’s Urban Forester. She applies these skills daily. From tree identification and selecting the right species for the right place, to assessing tree health and risk, and overseeing planting, pruning, and long-term care, her expertise in arboriculture, combined with her certification, has made her an invaluable asset to the city and a trusted leader in the management of its urban forest.
Teresa has championed La Grande’s street and park trees, making thoughtful planting and management decisions that extend canopy benefits across the entire community and ensuring equitable community access.
She was instrumental in Oregon’s Peace Tree Program, helping to distribute saplings grown from seeds of Hiroshima survivor trees. Thanks in part to her participation, 55 of these living symbols of resilience have been planted in 38 counties across Oregon, connecting communities to global history and hope. She was instrumental in securing, planting, and caring for La Grande’s Peace Tree.
Under her guidance, La Grande has proudly achieved 32 consecutive years as a Tree City USA, along with an astounding 30 Growth Awards which is a testament to her diligence in applying annually and her unwavering commitment to high standards of urban forest management. Under her guidance, La Grande was awarded Tree City of the Year by Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry program for 2025.
Teresa has also made youth education and outreach a cornerstone of her work. Each April, she visits elementary and middle school classrooms to teach students about the value of trees, tailoring her lessons to a new theme every year from pollinators to water conservation and beyond. She then organizes a large community Arbor Day celebration, where 4th and 5th grade students in La Grande gather in the park for a day of hands-on activities, rotating stations, and tree planting.
These events have become a gold standard for Arbor Day outreach, instilling a sense of wonder and stewardship in hundreds of children each year, maybe even inspiring some to be future arborists!
Teresa successfully secured funding through the Oregon Department of Forestry’s IRA Subaward, obtaining $363,404 to expand community engagement, increase tree planting and establishment, and provide tree maintenance in disadvantaged neighborhoods over a three-year period. The program will add a Community Forestry Outreach Coordinator to the urban forestry staff to create and implement a community outreach and engagement plan with the goals of building neighborhood coalitions to advocate for trees and expanding the community forestry volunteer network. This achievement not only brought resources to La Grande but also demonstrated her ability to translate vision into action.
Since 2017, Teresa has served as a volunteer on the Oregon Community Trees board, contributing to statewide education, advocacy, and leadership in urban and community forestry. Her service on the executive committee and her support of the annual statewide conference have expanded her influence and impact well beyond her city.
As her supervisor shared: “Teresa is a passionate advocate for trees, and she brings that passion even to challenging conversations with community members. She has a rare ability to balance leadership with advocacy, knowing when to listen, when to compromise, and when to stand firm. Because of her integrity and dedication, she has built lasting trust with both citizens and contractors, strengthening the reputation of our Urban Forestry Division and advancing our community’s goals.
Beyond her many professional accomplishments, Teresa has been an inspiring role model for women in the arboriculture field. She leads with wisdom, kindness, and humility, paving the way for future generations of arborists to enter and thrive in the profession.
Teresa’s career reflects the very best of our industry, technical expertise, community-centered service, statewide leadership, and a deep, abiding passion for trees. Her retirement marks the conclusion of an extraordinary career, but her influence will live on in the forests she has nurtured, the programs she has built, and the people she has inspired.
For all these reasons, I wholeheartedly nominate Teresa Gustafson as the Pacific Northwest Chapter ISA’s Arborist of the Year. She embodies the spirit of this award, and I urge the committee to recognize her outstanding contributions with this honor.
With deepest respect,
Jennifer Killian
Assistant Professor of Practice (Urban Forestry)
Oregon State University
Jennifer.killian@oregonstate.edu
541-740-2551
Brittany Oxford
Community Assistance Forester Oregon Department of Forestry brittany.n.oxford@odf.oregon.gov 971-375-6346
Stu Spence
Parks & Recreation Director
City of La Grande
541-962-1348
sspence@cityoflagrande.org
Jim Gersbach
Oregon Community Trees (President) Oregon Department of Forestry 503-508-0574
jim.gersbach@odf.oregon.gov
