Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) was named a 2024 Tree Line USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize its dedication to proper urban forest management in BTES’ service area.
Tree Line USA, a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters, recognizes public and private utilities for pursuing best practices that protect and cultivate America's urban tree canopy. In addition, Tree Line USA promotes delivering safe and reliable electricity while maintaining healthy community forests.
"By participating in the Tree Line USA program, service providers benefit from lowering line clearance costs due to proper pruning,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Service providers like BTES demonstrate how easily trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and residents."
As a result of properly pruned and maintained trees, customers benefit from increased reliability of service because those trees will have healthy root systems that decay less, have less structural weakness, and ultimately result in fewer downed lines during storms.
BTES achieved the Tree Line USA recognition by meeting five program standards: quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting and public education, a formal tree-based energy conservation program, and participation in an annual Arbor Day celebration.
BTES has been recognized as a Tree Line USA utility for 24 years.
Picture: BTES; the City of Bristol, Tennessee; and Bristol Tennessee City Schools celebrated Arbor Day at Anderson Elementary School where BTES received its Tree Line USA recognition and the City received its Tree City USA recognition. Students helped plant two trees at their school to celebrate.
