Arbor Day Foundation Honors Lompoc for Tree Management

The City of Lompoc Electric Utility has been named a 2023 Tree Line USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its dedication to effective urban forest management.

In addition, the city has again been named a Tree City USA for 2022 by the Arbor Day Foundation, through maintaining an urban forestry division, having a community tree ordinance, spending the required funding on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day.

Lompoc has received Tree Line USA recognition for 19 years and Tree City USA recognition for 33 years.

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.

Tree Line USA also promotes delivering safe and reliable electricity while maintaining healthy community forests.

"Trees are essential to creating more urban green spaces in communities across the United States," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "In addition, they provide important benefits to residents, including clean air, clean water, and vital tree shade.

"Service providers like City of Lompoc Electric Utility demonstrate how easily trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and residents."

By joining the Tree Line USA program, service providers benefit from lowering line clearance costs due to proper pruning. As a result of those properly pruned and maintained trees, the people 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.

Lompoc Electric Utility 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, and a sponsorship of or participation Arbor Day celebration.

On April 29, the Lompoc Urban Forestry Division and Beautification and Appearance Commission held its annual Arbor Day Celebration Recognition Grove in River Park. The event honors those who have contributed significantly to the enrichment of the Lompoc community with the planting of trees bearing name plaques for honorees.

This year's plaque was given in honor of the late City of Lompoc Beautification and Appearance Commissioner Judy McKinnon.

More about Tree Line USA program can be found at www.arborday.org/TreeLineUSA.

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