Our Team
Ben Anderson
Ben Anderson is a co-owner and consulting arborist with Urban Forestry Associates, where he has worked since 2013. He is a Board Certified Master Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture (WE-10160B), an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor, a Registered Consulting Arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists (RCA #686), and holds ASCA's Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification.
Ben earned a Master of Natural Resources in Fire Ecology and Management from the University of Idaho, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, with a concentration in Watershed Management and Hydrology. After graduating from Cal Poly, he stayed on to teach plant identification.
Ben's consulting work includes tree risk assessment, construction impact analysis and tree protection, tree and plant appraisal, forensic investigation and expert witness work, municipal consulting, and GIS-based tree inventories. His graduate work in fire ecology complements his experience evaluating wildfire impacts, vegetation management, and the relationship between trees, fire, and the built environment. Before joining Urban Forestry Associates, Ben worked for Cal Fire at Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest in timber harvest preparation and public education.
ben@urbanforestryassociates.com
Zach Vought
Zach Vought is a co-owner and consulting arborist with Urban Forestry Associates, where he has worked since 2014. He is a Board Certified Master Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture (WE-9995B), an ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor, and a Registered Consulting Arborist with the American Society of Consulting Arborists (RCA #691).
Zach earned a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Natural Resources Management from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, with a concentration in Urban Forestry. While at Cal Poly, he received the Bartlett Tree Foundation Scholarship and participated in the university’s tree planting program.
Before joining Urban Forestry Associates, Zach worked in residential and commercial tree care as a plant health care technician, foreman, climber, and ground worker. That field experience gives him a practical understanding of how tree work is planned and performed. His consulting work includes tree risk assessment, pest and disease diagnosis, construction impact analysis, tree protection and construction monitoring, tree inventories, tree and plant appraisal, fire-damage assessment, and forensic and expert witness work. He works with homeowners, homeowners’ associations, developers, attorneys, municipalities, and public agencies throughout Northern California.
zach@urbanforestryassociates.com
Ray Moritz
Ray Moritz is a Senior Consulting Arborist at Urban Forestry Associates. A respected leader in Bay Area vegetation management, Ray has over 50 years of experience providing arboricultural expertise throughout California and beyond. He has been a featured speaker at national conferences, including events hosted by the Society of American Foresters, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), and the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA).
Ray co-founded Fire Safe Marin and has taught fire hazard assessment and mitigation strategies to regional fire agencies since 1992. He also authored the “Ask An Arborist” column in the San Francisco Chronicle Home Section. Ray holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and completed graduate studies in fire ecology at the University of Minnesota.
Although he stepped down as owner of UFA in 2025, Ray continues to work part-time with the firm, supporting the next generation of consulting arborists and contributing his expertise to complex vegetation and fire management projects.
ray@urbanforestryassociates.com