Kalispell, Montana, became the national hub of utility vegetation management expertise when Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC) and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) co-hosted the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) Utility Vegetation Management (UVM) Summit, held May 13-15. The UAA is a member-driven organization providing resources in industry news, networking, education, certification, and more. Utility Vegetation Management plays a critical role in ensuring the safe, reliable delivery of essential services like electricity, powering the infrastructure of modern life.
The annual event is open to all types of utilities, publicly and privately owned. The three-day summit, rotating among host utilities across the country, is a cornerstone event for the UVM profession. About sixty UAA members attended, and over half of those attendees hailed from not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives, with some making the trip from as far as Alaska, Canada, and Florida.
Event co-chair Amanda Opp, who leads UVM efforts at FEC, reflected, “It was no small thing for a cooperative, especially one from Montana, to take center stage for the UVM Summit. Hosting this nationally recognized event speaks volumes about the leadership, innovation, and respect Flathead Electric Cooperative and Bonneville Power Administration have earned in the electric utility industry.”
Opp co-chaired the event with BPA’s Chuck Sheppard,. Their collaboration helped to shape an engaging and impactful agenda. Sessions focused on navigating customer conflicts, as well as ensuring only qualified line clearance tree trimmers are working near energized lines. Professional utility arborists frequently access these skill sets and enjoyed the opportunity to enhance them.
Since 2019, FEC has heavily invested in its UVM strategies, increasing its UVM budget by 332% and team members (staff and contractors) from less than 10 to 40. In 2024, FEC continued its UVM leadership by completing annual Wildfire Mitigation Plan updates, trimming over 100 miles of overhead lines in a service area about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, and securing three grants totaling $9M for vegetation maintenance to enhance wildfire resilience.
To learn more about the summit and the Utility Arborist Association, visit http://www.gotouaa.org.
