Green Industry Organizations Join Forces to Host National Conference Focused on Utility Vegetation Management

Trees and Utilities returns to help foster reliable utility service and effective urban and community forestry across North America

Forest Lake, MN (July 26, 2016) -- The Utility Arborist Association and the Arbor Day Foundation have announced the return of the Trees and Utilities conference, the premier learning and engagement event for utility vegetation professionals and associated urban and community forestry professionals in the world. The fall 2017 conference will convey the latest and most important industry information regarding vegetation management for the electric and pipeline utility employee while also exploring important community engagement and partnership models from around the industry. In addition, the return of the conference will provide expanded opportunities for suppliers to meet with vegetation management professionals. Trees and Utilities will provide a complete conference experience for all those in attendance.

Many of the trees in the utility forest are providing important canopy in cities, towns and neighborhoods. These trees are part of the aesthetic beauty of communities that hundreds of millions of utilities customers call home. They are also a critical part of the green infrastructure that shades homes, reduces flooding and cleans the air for all residents. The rights-of-way corridors managed by utilities for safe and reliable electric service, also provides habitat for wildlife.

"Utility vegetation management coordinated and managed by electric utilities and pipeline companies impacts more than 500,000,000 trees and an estimated 14,000,000 million acres throughout North America," said Craig Kelly, President Elect of the Utility Arborist Association. "Hosting this event as a formal partnership between UAA and the Arbor Day Foundation will distinguish this as a unique community collaboration and provide an important new offering for association members."

"The Arbor Day Foundation is proud to partner with the Utility Arborist Association and looks forward to providing a utility-focused conference that affords opportunity to engage other stakeholders including those with interests in the urban forest, pollinators, wildlife habitat, and more" said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. "The reintroduction of the Trees and Utilities Conference creates the latest opportunity to advance our common goals while engaging new audiences to participate in this important dialogue."

To request more information, please contact either the Utility Arborist Association at 513-623-1737 or the Arbor Day Foundation at 402-473-9553.

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About the Utility Arborist Association
The Utility Arborist Association (UAA) has over 4,000 members active in professional utility vegetation management throughout the world. The UAA strives to drive excellence, innovation and change through professional development, outreach, research, and the promotion of best practices. Find out more at www.gotouaa.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. During the last 44 years, more than 250 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the word. For more information, please visit www.arborday.org