Case Study: Christopher A. Joseph & Associates achieves 10× efficiency and sub‑meter tree mapping for Environmental Impact Reports with Trimble GeoXT handheld

Environmental Consultants Use GPS Mapping to Evaluate Potential Impacts to Protected Trees at Proposed Residential Development Site

Christopher A. Joseph & Associates (CAJA), a Los Angeles environmental consulting firm, was retained to prepare biological impact reports for a proposed 229-home development in the San Fernando Valley. The 60-acre, hilly site contains native oak woodlands protected by city ordinance and dense brush that made accurate tree surveying difficult but essential to meet city requirements and inform project decisions.

CAJA deployed a Trimble GeoXT handheld running ESRI ArcPad with custom data forms to collect submeter-accurate locations and attributes. In six visits the two-person team mapped more than 430 trees and recorded diameter, species and health, plus drainage data. The high‑precision, digital data integrated into ArcGIS allowed overlay of the developer’s build plan, enabling alternatives that minimized protected oak removal, reduced site visits and post‑processing time, and delivered roughly a 10× efficiency gain and lower project costs.

Christopher A. Joseph & Associates

Chad Flynn

GIS manager