Professional Arborists in Sumner, WA

Salish Sea Tree Care & Consulting was created to provide thoughtful, professional arborist services grounded in experience, education, and a deep respect for trees and the communities they support. Based in Sumner, Washington, we serve clients throughout South King County, Pierce County, North King County, and Snohomish County, offering a balance of hands-on tree care and professional consulting.

We believe good tree care starts with understanding—understanding the tree, the site, the goals of the property owner, and the long-term impacts of every decision. Our role is to guide clients through those decisions with clarity, honesty, and care.

At Salish Sea Tree Care & Consulting, trees are never treated as isolated objects. They are living systems shaped by soil, climate, development, and time. This perspective influences every recommendation we make, whether we are pruning a tree, assessing risk, or preparing a consulting report.

We focus on long-term outcomes rather than quick fixes. When a tree can be preserved safely and responsibly, we work toward that goal. When removal is necessary, we ensure the decision is informed, justified, and carried out with respect for the surrounding environment.

Salish Sea Tree Care & Consulting is led by ISA Board Certified Master Arborists® and ASCA Registered Consulting Arborists®. These credentials reflect a commitment to continued education, professional standards, and ethical practice.

Our consulting background allows us to support a wide range of needs, including tree risk assessment, appraisal, construction planning, and long-term management strategies. This blend of care and consulting is what allows us to serve both individual property owners and complex projects with the same level of attention..

Service Area: North King County & Snohomish County
Phone: (253) 736-5286
Email: John@salishseatree.com

John Huddleston brings a steady, practical approach to arboriculture shaped by years of hands-on experience and consulting work. His background allows him to support clients through both immediate concerns and long-term planning, helping them understand how trees interact with their surroundings over time.

John is known for his ability to translate complex arboricultural concepts into clear, usable information. His work emphasizes safety, tree health, and responsible stewardship, always considering the broader context of each site.

Professional Credentials

ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist® #625
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®
Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Credential ID: WE – 7660 BM

John Huddleston’s career is defined by a relentless passion for arboriculture and a commitment to high-level field execution. He began his professional journey by immersing himself in the art of tree climbing, quickly demonstrating exceptional proficiency. Within his first two months, John was climbing and removing up to twenty trees per day. By his sixth month, he was safely dismantling one-hundred and seventy-foot-tall trees, often positioned precariously between powerlines and residential structures.

By his third year, John was entrusted to lead a large line clearance project with a crew of sixty-seven. This large-scale operation involved removing hundreds of thousands of dead pine trees threatening high-voltage lines, with his team averaging one-hundred removals daily. John’s leadership extended to disaster response; in 2003, he led crews through four Florida hurricanes in three months, positioning his team to clear roads for emergency services at once following a Category Four direct hit. His commitment to excellence earned his crews annual safety recognition awards from Cal/OSHA.

Driven to formalize his expertise, John became a Certified Arborist in 2006. In 2008, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue the elite Board Certified Master Arborist® (BCMA) designation. During this time, he worked alongside industry pioneers such as Drs. Tom Smiley and Don Booth. Under the mentorship of industry veterans Mike Green and David Anderson, John earned his Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) credential and his Qualified Applicators License.

In 2015, John joined the top two percent of the industry by earning his BCMA. By 2017, he became a Registered Consulting Arborist® (RCA), making him one of fewer than one-hundred professionals in North America to hold both the BCMA and RCA credentials simultaneously. His contributions to the field include developing strategies for forest disease management and helping establish a CAL FIRE grant in 2018 to assist Riverside County homeowners with invasive insect treatments.

Today, John focuses on empowering clients through education. He ensures every property owner gains a deeper understanding of their assets and the confidence to make informed decisions about their landscapes. John’s family shares this dedication to the canopy; his wife, April, is also a certified arborist, and their children, Odin and Lili, share their father’s love for trees.

Service Area: South King County & Pierce County
Phone: (425) 654-4684
Email: NicholasJohnson@salishseatree.com

Nicholas Johnson focuses on evaluation, documentation, and long-term tree management. His work supports homeowners, property managers, and project teams who need reliable assessments and clear documentation to guide important decisions.

Nicholas has extensive experience in tree risk assessment and appraisal, helping clients understand both the condition and value of their trees. His consulting approach is thorough, methodical, and grounded in professional standards.

Professional Credentials

ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist® #827
Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualified
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®
Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
Credential ID: PN – 5662 BM

Nicholas Johnson is the co-owner of Salish Sea Tree Care and Consulting, providing expert tree care and comprehensive consulting services throughout the South Sound. With a career spanning over two decades, Nicholas brings a rare combination of hands-on field expertise and high-level analytical management to every project.

Nicholas is distinguished by the industry’s most prestigious credentials. He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist® and an ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist®, designations that reflect the highest standards of arboricultural knowledge and ethics. Additionally, he holds specialized qualifications in Tree Risk Assessment (TRAQ) and Tree and Plant Appraisal.

His deep understanding of tree care is rooted in diverse experience. Beginning his career in 2000 with General Tree Service, Nicholas mastered the fundamentals of tree trimming, removal, and plant health care. He subsequently spent 16 years with the City of Seattle, advancing from a Tree Trimmer Lead to interim Natural Resources Unit Manager. In this capacity, he oversaw complex municipal forestry programs, managing crews, budgets, and policy creation, while handling sensitive tasks such as illegal cutting investigations and permitting reviews.

Before launching his own firm, Nicholas served as a Consulting Arborist for SavATree, where he focused on preservation plans, tree appraisal projects, and tree risk assessments. Today, through Salish Sea Tree Care, he applies a conscientious approach to services including tree trimming, tree removal, pest and disease identification, soil health management, and consulting services. Whether navigating municipal policies or assessing a cherished tree, Nicholas is dedicated to delivering clear communication and expert solutions.

When not working, Nicholas enjoys spending time with his partner Madeline and their five children or traversing technical routes high in the Cascades. He also contributes time to supporting his local Parks and Forestry Commission.