Municipal Tree Restoration Program

The mission of the Municipal Tree Restoration Program (MTRP) is to reduce tree/utility line A street tree - utility easement conflict. conflicts by educating, influencing and encouraging people to recognize the conflict, remove problematic tree/utility situations and plant appropriately.

The goals of the MTRP:

Increase awareness of potential tree/utility conflicts by general public
Recognition of tree/utility problems by municipal tree managers
Removal of utility unfriendly trees in municipalities (on public property and/or public right-of- way)
Identification of utility appropriate trees based on research and on-the-ground experience
Increase availability of utility appropriate trees in the nursery trade.
Increase market demand for utility appropriate trees
Awareness of potential tree/utility conflicts in new plantings by developers/city planners/site plan reviewers, etc.

Funding for MTRP projects comes from annual dues paid by member organizations. The demonstration projects are funded by the Virginia Department of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry grants. The utility companies provide on-the-ground support with personnel and equipment.

A street tree - utility easement conflict in New Market, Virginia. Planning trees and shrubs for overhead utility easements? Read this VCE publication first.

Avoiding Tree & Utility Conflicts - from the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

Trees for overhead utility easements - list of preferred trees.

Agencies and Organizations involved in MTRP:

Virginia Department of Forestry
Scenic Virginia
Hampton Roads Agricultural Research & Extension Center (Virginia Tech)
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
Virginia Tech Community Design Assistance Center
Mid-Atlantic Chapter - International Society of Arboriculture

Utility Companies

Appalachian Power Company
Dominion Virginia Power
Allegheny Power Company
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative

Projects
There have been demonstration projects installed in:

Abingdon (Appalachian Power)
Luray (Allegheny Energy)
Winchester (Allegheny Energy)
Chesapeake Arboretum (Dominion Virginia Power)

Presentations:
Learn about the Municipal Tree Restoration Project in Abingdon, Virginia. (English, PowerPoint, 21MB).

The Street Tree - Utility Easement Conflict (English, PowerPoint; 21MB)

Posters - Utility Line Arboreta l Utility Friendly Trees

See our Membership List

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative - learn about our Right of Way maintenance program.

Last modified: Monday, 10-Mar-2008 16:04:01 EDT