Mr. Hoover Goes to Washington

As CEO of one of the nation’s largest utility vegetation management companies, I often describe our work as being at the intersection of public safety, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure resilience. Every day, our teams work in the field to protect communities, strengthen the energy grid, and preserve the health of America’s trees. But earlier this month, I had the opportunity to take our work to a different stage—the halls of Congress—by participating with 40 other industry leaders in the Tree Care Industry Association’s (TCIA) Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.

Walking into meetings with Senate and House members and their staff, I carried with me not only the priorities of our company, but the collective voice of an industry that is essential to the well-being of our nation. Our conversations focused on critical issues that extend far beyond day-to-day operations—they touch on the long-term safety, sustainability, and resilience of our country.

The first is the need for a dedicated OSHA standard for tree care. The men and women of our industry face hazards unlike any other profession. They climb, cut, rig, and manage vegetation under some of the most complex and dangerous conditions imaginable. For too long, our safety framework has been guided by a patchwork of general rules. A clear, industry-specific standard is not just a regulatory requirement—it is a moral imperative. It is about building a future where every worker has the highest level of protection and every company has the clarity needed to uphold that standard.

We also pressed the urgent case for proactive wildfire risk reduction. The cost of inaction is measured in billions of dollars, lives lost, and communities devastated. Vegetation management is one of the most effective tools we have to mitigate those risks. Federal leadership and sustained investment in prevention are essential. As an industry, we have the expertise, the workforce, and the solutions. What we need is alignment with policymakers to scale those efforts before disaster strikes.

Another long-term threat we addressed is the spread of invasive species, which continue to erode the health of our forests and urban landscapes. These are not isolated ecological issues—they are challenges that affect our economy, our environment, and our way of life. By supporting stronger monitoring and early-response programs, we can protect the trees that provide shade, absorb carbon, and strengthen the ecosystems we depend on.

Finally, I spoke about the future of our workforce. Our industry is labor-intensive, requiring highly trained professionals to perform complex and dangerous work. Yet, the demand for skilled labor far outpaces supply. Without a stable workforce, public safety and energy reliability are at risk. Targeted immigration reforms, designed to complement domestic hiring, represent a forward-looking solution that supports both industry stability and national resilience.

Leaving Capitol Hill, I was struck by the magnitude of what’s at stake—and equally inspired by the opportunities before us. The tree care and vegetation management industry is not simply about trimming branches or clearing rights-of-way. It is about safeguarding communities from wildfires, protecting the nation’s forests from invasive threats, and building a sustainable workforce that can meet the demands of the future.

At its core, our mission is to protect people, power, and the planet. By engaging directly with policymakers, we are ensuring that this mission is understood, valued, and supported at the highest levels of government. I am proud of the role our company and our industry play in shaping a safer, stronger, and more sustainable future for America.