Country ZEST & Style Summer 2022 Edition

For Jim Donegan: A Lifelong Love Affair With Trees

By Peyton Tochterman

Jim Donegan, the owner of Donegan’s Tree Service and an International Society of Arboriculture Arborist, has found himself in every situation one could imagine involving trees over the years.

Master arborist Jim Donegan gets up close and personal with a tree.

“Back in the 1980s, we had our first big contract trimming trees at the White House,” he said with a subtle southern draw, a hint of a smile, and a grounded nature in his voice.

“We cared for 480 trees there in The Ellipse, Sherman Park, Lafayette Park, and the First Division. Well, this guy comes out of nowhere and asks if I can solve a tree problem. Turns out the Secret Service had crashed a spy plane into the Jefferson Oak, and this guy asked me to cut it out, quickly.”

A former National Security Center staffer who worked in the White House confirmed the event.

“The NSC was operating a classified emergency procedure with a test plane,” he said. “The only thing I can say beyond that is that yes, we crashed the plane. And Donegan took care of the problem.”

Jim Donegan got his start working for renowned arborist Jim Biller, and he credits Biller for teaching him how to care for trees, as well as clients. He then moved on to Fairfax Tree company as a crew leader, where he learned about sales and business.

“We are in the business of saving trees,” he said. “We will not cut down a tree that we don’t believe needs to be cut down.”

That passion for trees and saving them began at a young age.

“I was born in Alabama, raised in Tennessee. And I have been a country boy all my life,” he said. “Even as a kid, I loved trees. Still do. Especially Historical Trees.” (A tree is deemed “Historical” if it is 150 years or older.)

In 1984, after finding the commute and bustle of Northern Virginia taxing, Donegan struck out on his own in 1984 and now serves Loudoun County as far up as Rt. 28 as well as Middleburg, Marshall, The Plains and Haymarket in nearby counties of Fauquier and Prince William.

“Loudoun County has a massive number of historical trees,” he said. “We have developed a process that allows HOA’s, Estates, and others to care for their trees in a responsible and meaningful manner.”

Donegan credits his success to his dedicated team of 14 employees, his hard-working crews, his 92-foot spider lift that fits through a 36-inch gate, and modern technology of mapping trees. He will come to a property and do a tree inventory, identifying all the serviceable trees on a property. He then maps any hazard.

Hazardous Tree Evaluation includes identifying trees that pose a risk to your home or structures, trees in decline, insect issues, and more. Each tree is categorized with a unique Tree ID number, species, GPS-coordinate location, DBH (diameter at breast height), and the recommended maintenance determined by Donegan.

Then Donegan digitally maps the trees by species and provides an Excel spreadsheet listing the data. Finally, he provides a maintenance plan and budget, ranging from two to five years depending on the number of trees, the budget, and the client’s priorities.

“I want to educate my clients about their trees,” he said. “I want them to know as much as I do by the time were are done.”

Donegan recently worked with Waverly Springs Farm, which plans to open a restaurant in 2023 with renowned and award-winning chef Tarver King. “They have about ten historical trees out of their 225-tree inventory,” he said. “They have a huge Sugar Maple that we named Sugar Mama, and they harvest their maple syrup from her.”

With over 45 years experience, Donegan said he feels fortunate to do what he loves for a living.