TCIA Hits the road

The third week of July a small but enthusiastic group of TCIA members traveled to Washington to defend the interests of the tree care industry. With a new administration, which brings new people and agendas to the forefront, now is the time to educate government officials on the nature of our profession. From labor concerns to pesticide restrictions, safety regulations and small business survival issues, TCIA member volunteers spent time stalking the halls of Congress on behalf of the industry.

This fifth Legislative Conference, held every two years, was organized in conjunction with the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the trade association serving lawn care, landscape management, design/build and interior plantscapers. TCIA and PLANET share concerns on many small business issues - H-2B visas, immigration reform, Employee Free Choice Act, and Healthy Families Act - while some issues are particular to tree care.

Of specific interest this year is TCIA's continuing push for a separate OSHA standard for arboriculture and a continued exemption for some members from the Department of Transportation's Hours of Service rule.

Why we're in Washington

TCIA, through its membership, is organized as a trade association. What does that mean specifically, and how is TCIA different from other groups in the green industry? A trade association is an organization founded and funded by businesses.

TCIA's mission is to "advance tree care businesses". One of the primary ways to protect and advance the industry is through attempts to influence public policy in a direction favorable to our members. TCIA does this with contributions to the campaigns of political candidates through the Voice for Trees political action committee, by supporting or opposing particular legislation, and by working to influence the activities of regulatory bodies such as OSHA.

There are almost 8,000 national trade associations in the United States, but only one represents the interests of the tree care industry.

Thank you to the volunteers who took time from their busy schedules to come to Washington and serve as visible representatives for the industry. No one knows tree care better than the people who run businesses every day, and TCIA - through its dedicated members - will continue to educate Washington on the unique issues and challenges the industry faces.

If you would like learn more about how you can take a more active role in your industry's government relations efforts, please contact Mark Garvin at garvin@tcia.org or by calling (603) 314-5380.