BWL awarded 8th straight Arbor Day Foundation
national award for tree stewardship

For the eighth consecutive year, the Lansing Board of Water & Light has been named a Tree Line USA Utility Award recipient by the national Arbor Day Foundation.

The annual award is given to U.S.-based utilities for programs and practices that nurture and protect trees as a valuable, renewable resource.

“The BWL has an ongoing commitment to give our customers trees for proper planting,” BWL General Manager J. Peter Lark said today. “We have given away more than 7,000 trees in the past three years. As recently as April 18th at our Adopt A River Day, we gave away hundreds of fruit trees and pine tree seedlings to our river clean-up volunteers.

“Tree stewardship is part of our commitment to ‘growing’ a cleaner, greener Lansing community,” Lark added.

The Arbor Day Foundation recognizes the BWL for:

A program of quality tree care.

Annual worker training in quality tree care practices.

Its tree planting and public education program.

“Across America, people are recognizing and celebrating how vital trees are to our cities and towns,” John Rosenow, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in a statement. “Tree Line USA utilities deserve recognition for their commitment to providing safe, efficient service, while helping proect and preserve community trees.”

One of the Arbor Day Foundation’s top objectives is replacing the outdated practice of “topping” trees near power lines.

For many years, the BWL has used the preferred natural pruning method, allowing trees to grow around power lines while retaining their natural form.

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