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Oregon Nurseries applaud Energy Conservation Act

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[5]Nursery Association Praises Congresswoman Doris Matsui For The Energy Conservation Through Trees Act
By Association of Oregon Nurseries [6],

[May 26, 2009] The Oregon Association of Nurseries applauded the inclusion of the Energy Conservation Through Trees Act as part of the larger American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The larger bill, which was approved Thursday (May 21) by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, will now proceed to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Energy Conservation Through Trees Act, authored and championed by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), would establish a grant program to help electric companies establish and run tree-planting programs in neighborhoods and business parks, for the purposes of reducing pollution and electricity demand.

Every 100 healthy large trees will remove about 300 pounds of air pollution and 15 tons of carbon dioxide from the air annually, studies have shown. Studies have also shown that for every dollar spent on tree planting, savings of between $2 and $5 are realized in reductions from heating and cooling systems.

“This proposal is a win-win for homeowners, utility companies, and the environment and we thank Congresswoman Matsui for her leadership,” said John Aguirre, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “Planting more trees in the urban landscape, through this program, offers shade and shelter for homes and small office buildings, provides cooling through evapo-transpiration, and will mean lower energy use, over time, for air conditioning and heating.”

Oregon’s nursery industry is the state’s largest sector of agriculture. Nurseries in Oregon export 74 percent of plant material grown here, bringing in important dollars to the state and contributing more than $1 billion in sales to Oregon’s economy annually.

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The Oregon Association of Nurseries, based in Wilsonville, represents more than 1,300 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon’s ornamental horticulture industry is the state’s largest agricultural commodity, with annual sales of more than $1 billion. For information visit our Web site at www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.

Contact Info: Elizabeth Peters, Director of Communications
503-682-5089 (main)
503-582-2010 (direct)
503-250-2235 (cel)
[email protected]