Brad King

Forester/Arborist

After receiving a Bachelor's in Science for Industrial Forestry at the University of Missouri Columbia in 05', Brad went to work for a reputable tree care company in KC where he worked as ISA certified arborist for 8 years. His passion for the outdoors eventually led him back into traditional forest management practices under the guidance of another local consulting forester. In 2010 Brad founded Western Missouri Forestry LLC, the company offers many services including forest inventory, timber sale administration, and preparation of timber tax basis. Currently, Brad is a member of the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and participates in the Call Before You Cut program.  

Kelly King

Administrative Assistant

Kelly holds a Bachelor's degree in Business from the University of Missouri Columbia. She edits spreadsheets to help keep track of all of the trees in our timber sales. Her professional background includes 12 years experience as a financial analyst for a local bank.

Ruby Mae

Bloodhound Mascot

Ruby Mae is no longer able to help in field but she still helps with office tasks. She used to swim in the creeks and scare off any wildlife in the area.

Some notes on pruning...

Most of the pruning that takes place on trees is for the benefit of humans not the tree (95%). Think of the tree's canopy as it's stomach (because it is the stomach). We all know what happens when someone has their stomach stapled. They lose weight! Many people prefer the look of a tree that has been hollowed out on the inside. This style of pruning leaves the tree weak and could be an inciting factor towards the decline spiral.

Some instances in which it is a good idea to prune a tree are, removing dead branches, subordinating codominant leaders, crown raising to allow a target to move past the tree and weight reduction of 90 degree laterals, (remove weight from the tips).

There are several common diseases of trees in the KC  Metro but the most common problems are soil related. Our heavy clay urban soils are often compacted, poorly drained and sometimes very alkaline. Young trees will often display a bio-elastic vigor in these soils but as they grow older growth patterns decline and the effect of poor soils become evident. It is for these reasons that the most exciting breakthroughs in arboriculture are in the area known as soil invigoration.  Trenching and vertical mulching are two common ways to achieve soil invigoration.

Emerald Ash Borer has arrived in the KC metro. The US Forest Service estimates 60,000,000 ash trees have already been killed by the EAB larvae. No native ash trees have shown resistance to this insect. If you have ash trees then now is the time to make a decision on whether or not you want to protect your trees with pesticides. The cost to inject your trees may be more economical then removing the tree once EAB has killed it.  Ash trees become unsafe to climb quickly after they die, and hazard trees will be more expensive to remove. If you have questions about treating your trees contact Western Missouri Forestry and we can go over your options.

Here are what a few customers have had to say about their experience with Western Missouri Forestry......

"As a landowner, making sure we properly harvested trees was very important to us. Brad went above and beyond making sure we were the priority and left us with a healthy timber stand while still getting us a healthy profit. I would recommend Brad to anyone looking for someone who truly respects our resources and has the knowledge and know-how to get top dollar"

-Anson Sutherland, Landowner/ Owner Midwest Custom Timber

"My 40 acres of forest is thriving after Brad identified and selected the appropriate/mature trees to clear. He got  me a great price and harvesting was seamless. Brad and his services were great for me and the environment."

-Frank Hayden, Landowner in North Henry County.

"Brad at " Western Missouri Forestry"  was great to work with. He was prompt. Accurate. Knowledgeable. And a real gentleman to do business with.

I had a small stand of walnut in a suburban location and he was able to appraise the trees and recommend a timber-buyer to remove"

-Dalton Hermes, CEO of Hermes Landscaping

"Brad was a pleasure to work with.  He understands the heritage impact harvesting trees may have on generational landowners and went out of his way to help them understand the process, the impact on the ground and wildlife, and most importantly feel comfortable that he had their best interest at heart.  His management of the logging operation and interaction with their personnel enhanced our relationship with them.  I believe he had our back at all times.  I believe the re-plant effort has been extremely important to the overall logging of the property.  Brad has outlined a plan for us to manage the timber of the property, much as we manage the row crop farming, as a resource to be managed and improved.  This element will ensure that we truly maintain the heritage of the land and its viability to the family and their legacy."

-Bill Kruse, Hauk Kruse & Associates, LLC

Recently I had the fortune of working in a small 20 acre forest that was, by all definitions, Old Growth Forest. Some of the criteria were the presence of a lot of dead trees, trees of all size and age classes and half of the trees were half of the life expectancy for each species. 5- 7 mature trees per acres, mostly White oak but Sycamore, Bitternut and Black oak and Basswood were also scattered around.