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Forest Service Funds ISA Scholarships
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Lindsey Bowman
Certification Marketing Coordinator
International Society of Arboriculture
217-355-9411, EXT. 17
lbowman@isa-arbor.com
International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and
U.S. Forest Service to offer Scholarships in Exchange for Community Service
CHAMPAIGN, IL (December 23,2004)Honoring its commitment to promote the
professional practice of arboriculture and foster a greater public awareness of
the benefits of trees, the ISA is pleased to offer an ISA Certified Arborist
scholarship for those willing to share their knowledge with the public. In
cooperation with, and with funding provided by the USDA Forest Service Urban
and Community Forestry Program, 250 scholarships will be awarded a grant to
cover fees involved in earning the certified arborist credential.
ISA will cover the cost of the exam, membership to the ISA and local chapter, a
chapter training workshop and exam study guide. In exchange, once the
individual has passed the exam, the newly certified arborist will donate 80
hours of time to train and educate volunteers, schools and government officials
on proper tree care. This grant program is targeted to communities without
enough resources to hire a municipal arborist or urban forester, or where this
is not already an ISA Certified Arborist working with the local community.
Currently, the scholarship rollout includes Maryland, Missouri and
Nebraska. Although the scholarship is being extended to additional states,
those wishing to apply or nominate someone should check with ISA Certification
to determine if their state is participating.
State Urban and Community Forestry (UCF)Coordinators are vital to
the improvement of tree care in many communities. Unfortunately, there are more
communities in need of training and education than can be addressed by the
resources currently available at the state level. The goal of the program is to
provide the State UCF Coordinators with more trained individuals that can help
them educate communities on proper tree planting and preservation.
Derek Vannice, Director of ISA Certification, says ISA is in a unique position
to complete a project of this magnitude. "We are fortunate to have a very
strong chapter network and devoted volunteers that work hard to outreach and
enrich the local community." said Vannice, "We're hopeful that the word will
get out quickly to eligible candidates, so that, together, we can help address
the lack of resources currently available at the state level and make an impact
in improving our urban forests."
Any arborist working for a private tree company, a tree company
contracting with any government entity, or the municipality is eligible.
Candidates must meet the necessary experience requirement to become a certified
arborist in order to apply and can review ISA's Certified Arborist application
online at www.isa-arbor.com or by
contacting the ISA certification department at cert@isa-arbor.com or (217)
355-9411.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a nonprofit
organization supporting tree care research around the world, offers the only
internationally-recognized certification program in the industry. ISA has been
certifying arborists for more than a decade in order to improve the level of
overall knowledge, to develop and implement standardized tree care practices,
and to uphold a code of ethics.
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