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Tree Line USA is a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters which recognizes public and private utilities across the United States that demonstrate best practices that protect and enhance America's urban forests. [1] [2]
The goal is to promote the dual goals of dependable utility service and abundant, healthy trees in America's communities. Certain criteria have been developed for the public and utility workers that highlight key practices that need to be followed. Utilities that meet the requirements of this program are publicly recognized for their contribution to better community forests. This recognition serves not only as an award to the employees, but also makes a statement about cooperation, goodwill and the need for continuous tree care.
A utility must have practices in place for tree pruning similar to methods prescribed by Dr. Alex L. Shigo and keeping in compliance with ANSI A300 that include avoiding tree topping, tree tipping, removing branch collars and leaving long stubs. Workers who perform line clearance, including contractor workers, must read and understand Dr. Shigo's field guide (or an equivalent one approved by the State Forester and the Foundation), follows its recommendations, and has a copy at every work site for quick reference.
For trenching and tunneling near trees, it is recommended workers follow methods in Dr. James R. Fazio's field guide to reduce the destruction of roots and injury to trees. The utility must provide educational information to its underground workers on proper trenching and tunneling.
Annual documented training on following the work practices is carried out for all employees, contractor workers and supervisors who do pruning work for the utility. An arborist, forester or other trained utility employee is designated by the utility to ensure that the training takes place and that the work practices are followed.
The city must have an ongoing community tree-planting program which is sponsored by the utility. Utility employees may plant the trees, or the utility may fund tree planting by municipalities, volunteer groups or homeowners. It is suggested the utility work toward an annual expenditure of at least 10 cents per customer.
Also, educational information about trees (one or more mailings) are made annually to all homeowner customers and include appropriate tree species for planting near utility lines. How to create energy-efficient landscapes to reduce cooling and heating loads and tips on how to prune trees safely.
The municipality must have annual Arbor Day events which are sponsored by, or participated in, by the utility.
Utilities which apply and are certified as a Tree Line USA will receive a plaque, a Tree Line USA flag and, the distinctive Tree Line USA prism for display.
Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation and education organization founded in 1972 in Nebraska, United States, by John Rosenow. It is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to tree planting. The Foundation's stated corporate mission is "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees." The Foundation programs are supported by members, donors, and corporate sponsors that share the same vision of a healthier and greener world.
Bonsai is a East Asian art form using cultivation techniques to produce, in containers, small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penzai or penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese Hòn Non Bộ. The tradition started from China then have influenced Japan by Korea.
Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their environment. The practice of arboriculture includes cultural techniques such as selection, planting, training, fertilization, pest and pathogen control, pruning, shaping, and removal.
An arborist, tree surgeon, or arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticulture.
Pruning is a horticultural and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping, improving or sustaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for transplanting, and both harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits.
Urban forestry is the care and management of single trees and tree populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Urban forestry involves both planning and management, including the programming of care and maintenance operations of the urban forest. Urban forestry advocates the role of trees as a critical part of the urban infrastructure. Urban foresters plant and maintain trees, support appropriate tree and forest preservation, conduct research and promote the many benefits trees provide. Urban forestry is practiced by municipal and commercial arborists, municipal and utility foresters, environmental policymakers, city planners, consultants, educators, researchers and community activists.
Utility location is the process of identifying and labeling public utility mains that are underground. These mains may include lines for telecommunication, electricity distribution, natural gas, cable television, fiber optics, traffic lights, street lights, storm drains, water mains, and wastewater pipes. In some locations, major oil and gas pipelines, national defense communication lines, mass transit, rail and road tunnels also compete for space underground.
Girdling, also called ring-barking is the complete removal of a strip of bark from around the entire circumference of either a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling results in the death of the area above the girdle over time. A branch completely girdled will fail and when the main trunk of a tree is girdled, the entire tree will die, if it cannot regrow from above to bridge the wound. Animals such as rodents will girdle trees by feeding on outer bark, often during winter under snow. Human practices of girdling including forestry, horticulture, and vandalism. Foresters use the practice of girdling to thin forests. Girdling can also be caused by herbivorous mammals feeding on plant bark and by birds and insects, both of which can effectively girdle a tree by boring rows of adjacent holes.
A utility tunnel, utility corridor, or utilidor is a passage built underground or above ground to carry utility lines such as electricity, steam, water supply pipes, and sewer pipes. Communications utilities like fiber optics, cable television, and telephone cables are also sometimes carried. One may also be referred to as a services tunnel, services trench, services vault, or cable vault. Smaller cable containment is often referred to as a cable duct or underground conduit. Direct-buried cable is a major alternative to ducts or tunnels.
Alex L. Shigo was a biologist, plant pathologist with the United States Forest Service whose studies of tree decay resulted in many improvements to standard arboricultural practices. He travelled and lectured widely to promote understanding of tree biology among arborists and foresters. His large body of primary research serves as a broad foundation for further research in tree biology.
The Certified Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have a minimum of three years' full-time experience working in the professional tree care industry and who have passed an examination covering facets of arboriculture. The Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) started the certification program in the 1980s. As the program proved its worth, it was taken over and expanded by the parent ISA organization. More recently, the ISA added specialty certifications of Utility Specialist, for those maintaining vegetation around electric utility wires, Municipal Specialist, for those with additional experience managing public urban trees, and the Board Certified Master Arborist, for those with extensive knowledge that comes with higher levels of education and experience.
Casey Trees is a non-profit organization established in 2001 to restore, enhance, and protect the tree canopy of Washington, D.C. The organization plants trees, engages volunteers in tree planting and care, offers an education program open to the public, monitors the District’s tree canopy, and advocates and plans for the urban forest.
Monterey County in California, U.S., has a commitment to its environment, and more specifically to its forestation, and offsetting the community's carbon footprint. To that end, a number of resources have been committed to preserving and improving this unique ecosystem and its reforestation.
Living sculpture is any type of sculpture that is created with living, growing grasses, vines, plants or trees. It can be functional and/or ornamental. There are several different types of living sculpture techniques, including topiary, sod works, tree shaping and mowing and crop art. Most living sculpture technique requires horticultural skills, such as grafting or pruning, to create the art.
The Davey Tree Expert Company, also known as Davey Tree, is an American multinational employee owned corporation that provides tree, utility, lawn care, and environmental consulting services in the green industry throughout the United States and Canada.
Asplundh Tree Expert LLC is an American company which specializes in tree pruning and vegetation management for utilities and government agencies. The company also performs utility line construction and maintenance, electrical systems testing, traffic signal and highway lighting construction and maintenance, automated metering infrastructure and home energy management program implementation.
The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) is the forest management agency for the U.S. state of Alabama. It was created as a state agency by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1924. Its general mission is protecting Alabama's forests from wildfire, insects, and diseases; assisting landowners practice responsible forest management on their private property; and educating the general public about the value of Alabama's forests. It established the Alabama Champion Tree Program in 1970 and continues to maintain it.
The Master Arborist or Board Certified Master Arborist credential identifies professional arborists who have attained the highest level of aboriculture offered by the International Society of Arboriculture(ISA) and one of the two top levels in the field. There are several paths to the Board Certified Master Arborist, but typically on average each has been an ISA Certified Arborist a minimum of three to five years before qualifying for the exam. The certification began as a result of the need to distinguish the top few arborists and allow others to identify those with superior credentials. The ISA added specialty certifications of Utility Specialist, for those maintaining vegetation around electric utility wires, Municipal Specialist, for those with additional experience managing public urban trees.
The King George V Avenue of Memorial English Oaks is a heritage-listed memorial avenue at King George V Memorial Avenue (East), Tamworth, Tamworth Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Tamworth Council and Community and built during 1936 by Tamworth Progress Association, Tamworh Rotary, Tamworth Community and Council. It is also known as Lower Nemingha Road. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 12 March 2014.