March 16,2009 - This year marks a decade of recognition for tree management practices excellence by National Grid, which again was named a Tree Line USA Utility by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
The award is consistent with National Grid’s continuing efforts toward sustainable business practices and reliability as part of its Power of Action campaign. The distinction covers the company’s service areas in New England and New York. Sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters, the award recognizes National Grid for its quality tree care program, its annual training of workers in quality tree-care techniques and its tree-planting and public education program.
The award reflects National Grid’s ongoing dedication to working with the public to help preserve and enhance the environment. The company recognizes that, by preserving trees and engaging in sustainable business practices, it is doing more than just helping to keep air clean today. By preserving trees, National Grid is safeguarding the air, land and sea of tomorrow.
As part of its program, National Grid engages in natural pruning practices, which are both more effective and healthier for vegetation than outdated tree-lopping. National Grid frequently reminds customers to look both up and down to determine the proper tree planting location relative to overhead and underground utility lines. Utility companies regularly remove damaged, diseased or dead trees and must prune others posing potential hazards to safety and service reliability in communities across the United States.
National Grid suggests that customers seek professional advice before planting to determine which species are most appropriate for a given location. Proper tree placement and species selection prior to planting will help to circumvent utility line conflicts and the need for tree trimming or removal as the trees grow and mature in the future. If planting near a utility line can’t be avoided, customers should be sure that trees planted within 25 feet of overhead utility lines are species with a mature height of not more than 30 feet. Some examples of appropriate species include: Hedge or Amur Maple, many varieties of flowering Crabapple, Japanese Tree Lilac, Eastern Redbud and American Hornbeam.
For more information on avoiding tree and utility line conflicts, and to view a list of over 100 appropriate tree varieties and selections than could be planted under overhead electric lines, customers can visit www.nationalgridus.com and click on “The Environment.”
The National Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit education organization, is dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship.
National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.