BUILDING WITH TREES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ANNOUNCED

Nebraska City, Neb.--Conservation-minded builders and developers around the country have been named to receive 1999 Awards of Excellence in the Building With Trees Recognition program. The program, created in 1998 by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders, recognizes builders and developers who save trees during construction and land development.

Winners of the first Building With Trees Awards of Excellence are:

Residential development, 26 to 100 lots--Whispering Woods Subdivision, a project of the Stulberg Development Corporation, West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Residential development, 101 to 500 lots--Forest Creek, Taylor-Morley Homes, St. Louis, Missouri

Residential, more than 500 lots--Northridge, Northridge Homes Inc., Bowie, Maryland

Residential, attached housing--Solomons Landing, Solomons Homes & Marina LLC, Calvert County, Maryland

Nonresidential, commercial--The Atrium, The Nicotra Group, Staten Island, New York

Nonresidential, public--Trapps Gateway for the Mohonk Preserve, Lee H. Skolnick Architecture & Design Partnership, Gardiner, New York

The award winners were selected by a jury of development industry and urban forestry professionals. Criteria considered in making the awards included: creativity in and attention to protecting and planting trees during planning, design, and construction, and in providing for long-term tree care; commitment to tree protection by having a tree professional on the development team, inventorying existing trees, and using that information to help preserve trees; and communication of and adherence to tree protection goals throughout construction.

The Awards of Excellence will be presented at the Arbor Day Foundation's national Building With Trees Conference March 29-31, 1999 in Nebraska City, Neb. The conference will highlight the awards presentation and offer a national forum to discuss the issues involved in tree protection during land development and construction.

"We're pleased to honor these builders and developers who have shown great skill and dedication in preserving existing trees on their development sites and in planting trees at locations where they didn't previously exist," said John Rosenow, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Each of these winners exemplifies what we had hoped to find in builders today, and serves as a model for the best in tree conservation and care."

"The Awards of Excellence winners illustrate the home building industry's commitment to tree preservation and planting," said Donald D. Martin, president of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder from Albuquerque, N.M. "Builders and developers are excellent stewards of the environment, and these awards provide us with an important opportunity to recognize that stewardship."

In addition to the Awards of Excellence, the Building With Trees program also provides builders and developers the opportunity for recognition following the planning and design phase of a project. Applicants can register their commitment to building with trees by meeting certain standards, including having a tree expert on the development team, a tree survey prior to planning and design, and a tree conservation plan. The builder and tree expert must also pledge to follow tree preservation guidelines during the construction and maintenance stages of the project. Those who register their pledge receive a plaque, marketing materials, and educational information to help them showcase their commitment to trees to home buyers, the public and community officials.

To receive a free booklet on the Building With Trees Recognition Program or conference information, contact The National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, tel. 402-474-5655. The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit education organization dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship.