For More Information Contact:
Lance Robertson, 984-4716
Eugene Water & Electric Board

April 30, 2007

Arbor Day Foundation honors EWEB with tree award

The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized the Eugene Water & Electric Board as a Tree Line USA Award recipient. EWEB is one of only four utilities in Oregon to receive the award and is among only 150 utilities nationwide to be honored this year.

The Tree Line USA program is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters. The program recognizes public and private utilities across the nation that demonstrate practices that protect and enhance America's urban forests.

EWEB has been working for the past two years towards being recognized as a utility that performs the required tree trimming within the Tree Line USA guidelines.  This includes the formal adoption of correct pruning and other guidelines that ensure minimal damage to trees.

Utilities also are judged on their commitment to worker training, ongoing tree planting and public education efforts. For example, EWEB has a full-time arborist to ensure that proper tree-pruning practices occur. The utility also sponsors tree planting and other educational events each year, usually in April. This year’s activities included tree-planting events at Madison Meadow and at a local school. Last year, EWEB donated and helped plant trees along Bethel Drive in the Trainsong Neighborhood.

National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April. Oregon recognizes Arbor Week as the first full week in April.