SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Contact: Aaron Kiesz at 1-800-228-5254
aaron.kiesz@state.sd.us

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and U.S. Forest Service Certified Arborist Scholarship Gaining Ground across the Country

April 26, 2005 - With funding provided by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is awarding 250 scholarships covering fees involved in earning the ISA Certified Arborist credential.

This grant program is targeted to communities without enough resources to hire a municipal arborist or urban forester, or where there is not already an ISA Certified Arborist working with the local community. 

“We are delighted to be able to help support urban forestry coordinators’ efforts in states across the country,” said Derek Vannice, Director of ISA Certification. “Award winners are giving back to the community in a variety of projects of their choosing, covering topics such as educating local home owner associations about proper tree care, pruning workshops, providing more formal training for park workers, and programs with school children, among others,” he added.

State Urban Forestry 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 urban forestry coordinators with more trained individuals that can help them educate communities on proper tree planting and preservation. 

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. 

In participating states, 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. Interested persons 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. 

For additional information, please contact Aaron Kiesz, Division of Resource Conservation & Forestry, 1-800-228-5254 or aaron.kiesz@state.sd.us.

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