The Voice for Trees, a political action committee formed in early 2004, takes direct action on legislative and regulatory issues that affect the Tree Care Industry. Specifically, VFT-PAC makes political contributions to U.S. Senators and Representatives who support our profession with their votes. Because of election laws and ethical considerations, PACs are funded apart from their parent organizations, so that membership dues and political donations are not mixed.
The TCIA “Grassroots Champion Award,” a new award this year, recognizes a green industry leader who most effectively educates elected or regulatory officials on how major issues affect the tree care industry’s vital role in the community; who has done an exemplary job in broadening the base of community support for tree care; and who is a tireless advocate for the industry and its clients through education, programming and advocacy to address issues that impact our members’ business environment.
The purpose of this award is to honor the efforts of those who work at the federal, state and local level to promote professionalism and advance commercial tree care businesses as part of our Transformation of the Industry. Nominees may work on state and local licensing, regulations and ordinances, or they may work with the Voice for Trees political action committee to further the association’s g oals in Washington.
For 2006, we honor Kevin Caldwell, president of Caldwell Tree Care in Roswell, Ga.
Kevin immediately showed leadership in our industry by attending our first Legislative Conference in Washington in 2005. This year, Kevin spent the weekend with Congressman Charlie Norwood at his annual fundraiser. He arrived early, stayed late and made sure the Congressman knew the issues of concern to TCIA members, especially issues concerning OSHA. Norwood was chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, which has jurisdiction over OSHA.
In addition, Kevin led a three member delegation to a meeting with Sen. Johnny Isaakson, who was chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. Together, they introduced the Senator to the tree care industry and its goal of improving safety through common sense regulations.
Finally, Kevin contacted Norwood and Isaakson, as well as Rep. Phil Gingrey, on behalf of TCIA’s application to secure an EHAP grant under the Susan Hardwood Grant program.
Congratulations to Kevin Caldwell, TCIA’s first Grassroots Champion Award recipient!
In 2005, TCIA’s Board established the Advancing Arboriculture Award. This award was created as a partner to the Legislator of the Year Award to provide TCIA with another avenue to recognize support for our issues in Washington. We knew that governmental agencies, etc. would not appreciate receiving an award from a political action committee, so we needed another mechanism for TCIA to say “thank you.”
The Advancing Arboriculture Award is given to a governmental agency, institution or green industry partner that has worked to advance legislation, regulation or practices favorable to the tree care industry.
Our 2006 awardee was instrumental in the establishment of the permanent regulation in California (amended §3427) that provides arborists with the legal ability to use cranes to access trees in professional practice. The regulation went into effect in mid-2005.
George Hauptman is the senior engineer for standards with the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. What impressed us so much was that he visited TCI EXPO Spring with his colleagues and contacted TCIA directly to get input on this standard. His actions directly show Outcome 3 in action – “The government will regularly seek the advice and counsel of TCIA as a source of industry standards and as a partner in legislation and regulation.”
The resulting regulation is the first of its kind in the United States and therefore is precedent setting. It was a critical moment for us as we now have a regulation to which we can refer when this issue arises in other states, and most importantly, when we continue our fight at the federal level to receive acknowledgement of crane use as a safe work practice with OSHA. It will certainly be referenced as we begin work on establishing a separate standard for arboriculture.
TCIA’s Board of Directors approved George Hauptman and the California State OSHA as the second recipient of the Advancing Arboriculture Award. Congratulations to them.
With the dramatic results of November's elections still being digested in Washington, the Voice for Trees political action committee is looking closely at 2007. A number of the industry's priorities remained stalled in Congress - chief among them immigration reform, small business health care relief, OSHA's agenda, and regulatory consistency on pesticide application.
With an eye toward the next Congress, VFT-PAC held a fun and successful Casino Night fundraiser at TCI EXPO in Baltimore. Almost 100 expert and not-so-expert gamblers enjoyed a fun evening of blackjack, roulette, craps and poker. John Lloyd, president of Tech Tree Experts in Blacksburg, Va., was the big winner, taking home airfare and two nights at the Cancun Hilton.
The next event for VFT-PAC will be its annual gala dinner and auction at Winter Management Conference 2007 in Cancun in February. For more details on the dinner or auction items, please contact Mark Garvin at garvin@tcia.org.
Congresswoman Nadia Velasquez (D-NY) met with Jeff Lundberg, director of human resources with SavATree in Bedford Hills, N.Y. Lundberg delivered a check to the Congresswoman on behalf of the Voice for Trees political action committee.
“We discussed immigration strategies and potential changes in Washington,” says Lundberg.
The October 25 meeting took place two weeks before the elections. According to Lundberg, Velasquez noted that “she does not expect major changes in immigration policy, since there remains substantial opposition. Her position is small steps in the right direction.”
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