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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: September 12, 2006
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

DEM ANNOUNCES UPCOMING WORKSHOP ON STORM PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN REGARD TO COMMUNITY TREES

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that a workshop, "Storms Over the Urban Forest," focusing on storm preparedness and response in regard to trees in the community, will be held on Tuesday, September 26. The targeted audiences for the workshop include municipal officials, tree wardens, consulting foresters, tree board members, volunteer tree group members, and arborists.

Co-sponsored by DEM's Division of Forest Environment, the Rhode Island Tree Council, and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the workshop is intended to help communities prepare for natural disasters, respond appropriately when a disaster occurs, and help urban forests recover from damage. Speakers will cover administrative and planning issues, as well as tree care techniques that will help communities be better prepared when a storm strikes their urban forest.

Workshop organizers note that trees are an integral part of a community's environment, but when a natural disaster, such as a wind or ice storm, strikes a community, damage to trees can be severe. The result is not only a loss of tree canopy cover, but also increased damage to property and infrastructure, and safety concerns for the public. A well-managed forest, resulting from proper tree maintenance and planting, they say, can help mitigate damage during a storm event. A well-planned storm response can help minimize additional tree damage and loss, and help start an efficient recovery.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Radisson Airport Hotel Providence on Post Road in Warwick. The $50 registration fee includes lunch. To register, call the RI Tree Council at 861-1995; for more information about the workshop, call Paul Dolan at DEM's Division of Forest Environment at 647-3367.

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