Several TCIA members and staff posed for a group photo during TCIA’s Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., in September. TCIA photos by Christopher Hall.

In September 2024, TCIA returned to Capitol Hill for the first time in five years to advocate for policies to advance tree care businesses. This year, TCIA brought nearly 20 Association members, along with its staff and government-relations team, to participate in TCIA’s Legislative Day.

Attendees met with 30 U.S. representatives, senators and/or their staffs, including key meetings with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office, House Education & Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx’s and Ranking Member Bobby Scott’s offices, as well as professional staff of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The event spanned two days. On the first day, members prepared for their meetings with legislative officials, participated in expert briefings and took advantage of networking opportunities during an evening reception and dinner. On the second day, members met with lawmakers and their staffs to discuss the most pressing policy issues impacting their businesses. Below are highlights from the Legislative Day events.

Meggan Hargrave, with Metropolitan Forestry Services in Ballwin, Missouri, and member of TCIA’s Public Policy Committee, with Peter Gerstenberger, left, and Noel Boyer on the Capitol steps.

Day 1: Advocacy prep, expert briefings and networking reception
On September 18, attendees participated in a Lobbying 101 session, where they received guidance on how to navigate Capitol Hill, approach visits with lawmakers and effectively present key issues by focusing on how policies impact their businesses. This session encouraged members to keep their messaging clear, personal and direct, making the most of their time with lawmakers and staff.

After Lobbying 101, three public policy experts briefed TCIA members on several important policy issues. Nausheen Iqbal from the U.S. Forest Service provided an overview of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) unprecedented funding for urban and community forestry, as well as the grants the Forest Service distributed to states for tree planting and maintenance projects.

Jon Baselice from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce discussed the ongoing challenges with the H-2B visa program, and he outlined possible avenues for immigration reform through legislative and regulatory action.

Finally, Robin Repass from the employment law firm of Fisher & Phillips LLP discussed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) recent Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rulemaking, highlighting the potential challenges and costs this regulation could impose on tree care employers. She encouraged attendees to provide feedback on the proposal, which remains open for comments through the end of 2024. [Publisher’s note: TCIA is hard at work gathering information from members and formulating comments for OSHA.]

In the evening, TCIA hosted a networking reception where attendees had the chance to hear from Representative Alma Adams (D-NC). She spoke about the importance of advancing an OSHA tree care standard and highlighted the role tree care work plays in her congressional district. Rep. Adams, who serves as the Ranking Member on the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, recently signed a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging OSHA to act promptly on issuing the standard.

To conclude the night, TCIA hosted a group dinner in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood, giving members additional opportunities to network and prepare for the next day’s Hill meetings.

From left, Megan Townsend, Art Batson III, Rep. Alma Adams, August Hoppe and Carmine Schiavone.

Day 2: Hill meetings with lawmakers
On September 19, TCIA hosted a breakfast for all attendees, where Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) addressed the group before members headed out to meetings on Capitol Hill. Rep. Kiley, chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, recently conducted a hearing on OSHA’s priorities, during which TCIA’s Peter Gerstenberger testified about the agency’s delays in issuing a proposed tree care standard.

Rep. Kiley discussed his committee’s efforts to support the tree care standard, as well as his work on wildfire mitigation in response to the increasing wildfire activity in his home district in California. He also engaged in conversations with TCIA members, learning firsthand about their efforts to clear power lines and create defensible spaces to protect communities from wildfires.

After breakfast, TCIA members divided into five groups to attend Hill meetings. Each group participated in roughly six meetings with members of Congress and their staff. During these meetings, TCIA members shared insights from their businesses and discussed key industry challenges. They also advocated for policies that support the growth and safety of the tree care industry. The key issues discussed included:

• The need for OSHA to issue a tree care-specific standard.
• Immigration reform, specifically expanding the H-2B program and protecting TPS (temporary protected status) recipients.
• Workforce shortages and the need to bolster workforce-development opportunities.
• Pesticide preemption over local regulations to ensure responsible, effective pesticide use.
• Establishing a minimum standard of care for utility vegetation management to reduce wildfire risk and make wildfire insurance more accessible and affordable.
• Ensuring robust urban and community forestry funding and requiring program grantees to adhere to consensus standards on effective tree maintenance and workplace safety.

August Hoppe with Nausheen Iqbal, USDA Forest Service.

TCIA arranged these meetings strategically, focusing on lawmakers serving on committees with jurisdiction over relevant agencies and policy areas such as labor and employment, wildfire mitigation and pesticide use. In addition to advocating for specific policies, these meetings aimed to build relationships with lawmakers to ensure continued dialogue and cooperation on key issues affecting the industry.
Importance of Legislative Day for TCIA’s advocacy
After a productive day of Hill meetings, members gathered at a local pub to relax and debrief on their Hill visits. Events like the Legislative Day are central to TCIA’s mission to advance tree care businesses by keeping the industry engaged in the legislative process. No one understands tree care better than the people who run these businesses, and TCIA, through its dedicated members, works to educate lawmakers about the industry’s unique challenges and needs.

These meetings help lawmakers understand the vital role tree care businesses play in maintaining infrastructure and supporting local economies. By engaging directly with policymakers, TCIA ensures that the tree care industry remains part of the decision-making process on Capitol Hill.

TCIA thanks all who attended the 2024 Legislative Day. Events like these are crucial for making sure the voice of the tree care industry is heard in Washington. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning attendees at the 2025 Legislative Day. More information about next year’s event will be released soon.

Bailey Graves is a senior associate with Ulman Public Policy, TCIA’s Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and lobbying partner.