SAN DIEGO, April 7, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The City of Carlsbad and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) have been named as a Tree City USA and Tree Line Utility, respectively, by the National Arbor Day Foundation, a national nonprofit group dedicated to the planting and caring for trees.
"We are proud to be named a Tree Line Utility for the third year in a row, and to be recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters for our tree care, tree training, tree planting and education efforts," said David Geier, vice president of electric transmission and distribution for SDG&E. "Last year we replaced 734 trees of all sizes around our service territory."
"Trees save energy by keeping homes cooler, and cooler homes require less air conditioning," said Kyle Lancaster, parks supervisor for the City of Carlsbad. "Trees also add character and appeal to neighborhoods, reduce storm run-off and improve local air quality. Carlsbad is proud to be named a Tree City USA. In order to be name a Tree City USA, cities must meet four rigorous standards set by the national Arbor Day Foundation."
To celebrate the awards and to commemorate Arbor Day, Carlsbad and SDG&E will host an event open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9 at Holiday Park in Carlsbad. The festivities will include music, tree plantings, giveaways and safety demonstrations by representatives of Carlsbad, SDG&E, the Urban Corps, the U.S. Department of Forestry, and other vegetation-management groups.
A limited number of tree vouchers will be distributed to attendees, entitling Carlsbad residents to receive $40 off the purchase price of a 15-gallon tree of their choice, redeemable at Briggs Nursery in Vista. The vouchers will be limited to residents of Carlsbad who must bring proof of residency, such as a recent (less than 30 days old) utility bill. The vouchers will be limited to one per household.
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.3 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region's quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.
The City of Carlsbad is a coastal community of approximately 95,000 residents and about 42 square miles located 35 miles north of the City of San Diego. Although the "village" dates back more than 100 years, the City was incorporated July 16, 1952. To learn more, go to www.ci.carlsbad.ca.us
National Arbor Day was founded by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska in 1872 and is celebrated the first week in April. The National Arbor Day Foundation's mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. To learn more, go to www.arborday.org/GeneralInfo/mission.cfm