Tree Line USA is a program sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation

Arbor Day

Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States during 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.Many...

 in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters for cities

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

 and town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

s across the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and recognizes public and private utilities

Electric utility

An electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...

 across the nation that demonstrate practices that protect and enhance America's urban forest

Urban forest

An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...

s.

Goal

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 forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s. This recognition serves not only as an award to the conscientious employees who make it possible, it also makes a statement to the community at large about cooperation, goodwill and the need for continuous tree care.

Tree care

A utility must have practices in place for tree pruning similar to methods prescribed by Dr. Alex L. Shigo

Alex Shigo

Alex L. Shigo was a 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...

 and keeping in compliance with ANSI A300 http://www.mac-isa.org/ansi_a300.htm that include avoiding tree topping

Tree topping

Tree topping is the practice of removing whole tops of trees or large branches and/or trunks from the tops of trees, leaving stubs or lateral branches that are too small to assume the role of a terminal leader. Other common names for the practice include hat-racking, heading, rounding over, and...

, 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 oundation), follows its recommendations, and has a copy at every work site for quick reference.

For trench

Trench

A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....

ing 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 worker training

Annual documented training on following the work practices is carried out for all employees, contractor workers and supervisors who do pruning

Shredding (tree pruning technique)

Shredding is a method of tree pruning by which all side branches are removed on a systematic basis.In some countries this can be used for animal fodder.Other woodland management techniques include pollarding and coppicing....

 work for the utility. An arborist

Arborist

An arborist, 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...

, 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.

Tree planting and care

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 landscape

Landscape

Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...

s 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.

Benefits

• A municipality will have healthier and more abundant community forests and will benefit from lower line clearance costs resulting from long-term cost savings from proper pruning vs. topping and low-growing rather than tall trees being planted under utility lines.
• Reduced tree mortality
  Death
  Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
  
   resulting from proper trenching/tunneling practices.
• Increased reliability of service because properly pruned and maintained trees with healthy root systems with less decay and structural weakness, and fewer downed lines during storms.
• Lower peak air-conditioning and heating demand because of more trees and better placement of trees—to moderate air temperature. This will result in decreased maximum power plant capacity.
• More trees will help absorb carbon dioxide produced by power plants that burn fossil fuels.
• A focal point for the many community-forestry assistance projects of individual utilities.

Award

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.