The Tree Care Industry Association has placed a call for public review on revision of the national tree care standard for Integrated Vegetation Management. The public review period runs from July 22 to Sept. 5, 2011. The review documents are posted on http://www.treecareindustry.org/standards/CurrentProjects.htm. The document contain instructions for submitting comments.
Keeping trees healthy is a main concern of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), an ANSI member and ANSI-accredited standards developer. TCIA is an industry trade association whose members comprise tree care companies. TCIA also serves as the secretariat for the ANSI A300 series of Standards for Tree Care Management Operations (ANSI A300 Parts 1 through 9). A300 standards are written by the ANSI-accredited A300 committee.
This is the first, and intended final, revision draft of ANSI A300 Part 7-(2006) Integrated Vegetation Management a. Utility Rights-of-way standard. This part of the A300 standards applies to the creation and implementation of integrated vegetation management plans. Part 7 IVM addresses:
- Site evaluations
- Management control method selections
- Cultural control methods
- Biological control methods Initial clearing of rights-of-way
- IVM applications
- Chemical control applications
- Selective and non-selective management
- Wire zone – border zone concept
ANSI A300 documents provide standard definitions and tree care management standards for all aspects of tree health management, including pruning, utility pruning, soil management and fertilization, tree support structures, lightning protection for trees, tree management and preservation during construction and land use, tree planting and transplanting, and integrated vegetation management for utility rights-of-way.
Utilities are required to maintain the reliability of their infrastructure to avoid electric and other types of utility outages. Trees and other vegetation can cause outages, especially when they are not well maintained. IVM methods are proven to ensure the reliability of electric and other utility supply lines while promoting stable, compatible plant communities and improved wildlife habitat on suitable utility rights-of-way.
To submit comments and receive written response, please send comments to Bob Rouse, Secretariat A300 Review Committee at: mailto: Rouse @tcia.org. If you don’t need a written response and want to inform the UAA delegate of your comments, please send to mailto: [email protected] or mailto: [email protected].
Trees help fight global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide and keeping our air oxygenated. Trees decorate our thoroughfares and provide cool shade in the dog days of summer. Trees are an investment. Well-cared for trees can increase property values, without creating undue risk to utility reliability. Poorly maintained trees could become unsightly and unsafe, creating a significant liability. To protect your assets, the association urges all professionals, property managers, and homeowners to ask their tree care company, in writing, to follow ANSI A300 standards to help keep their trees healthy, safe, and free of pests and diseases.
