News Release – 22 February 2011

New York leads the nation with only state level programme that promotes organic care of turf and trees

New York state consumers who want the assurance of organic care for their tree and shrubs now have an option they did not have before through a unique programme developed by the state of New York - the only such state programme nationwide. Consumers can now easily opt to be eco-focused by taking advantage of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDES) programme Be Green Organic Yards NY. “The forward thinking of NYSDEC should be applauded in developing the Be Green Organic Yards Programme,” commented David McMaster, Vice President, Bartlett Tree Experts, a national leader in eco-focused tree and shrub care service.

About Be Green
Core to the Be Green Programme is the understanding that the development of sustainable landscapes requires more than restricting pesticides. Plant diversity using ecologically appropriate species as well as cultural means to improve plant health care, such as managing soils to maintain and improve their productivity, and monitoring landscapes before problems with pests and disease develop are also key.

To have a Be Green yard, homeowners first opt-in with NYSDEC so their property can be earmarked as such agreeing that only Be Green licensed vendors work on their landscape plants and turf. Once they’ve opt-in, homeowners would have to officially opt-out if they decide to use non-organic products on their property. In caring for their yards, homeowners who have opted-in hire a Be Green trained turf care provider who will treat the turf as well as Bartlett Tree Experts who will care for the landscape plants. Be Green practitioners, of which Bartlett Tree Experts is one, are allowed to only use products that are OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved or meet a strong set of guidelines that the DEC has established.

“The primary reason that New York State designed and developed the Be Green Organic Yards NY programme is to protect the aquifer, especially on Long Island.  State officials recognized that if we were ever truly going to embrace organic land care programmes, it would have to be done through an all-out collaboration between state, industry, environmental advocates, and the public; not just through a unilateral effort," McMaster continued.

BOOST Natural
Basic to Bartlett’s Be Green services is the company’s OMRI-approved fertiliser, BOOST Natural, the only organic tree and shrub fertiliser that meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. Unlike fertilisers with concentrated chemicals, BOOST will not burn plants or yellow leaves and contains no phosphorus, an element that has been linked to water degradation caused from run-off.

BOOST Natural, developed by Bartlett’s Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, North Carolina is the only organic fertiliser proven effective for supplying nutrients in a single application based on the industry standards for single application set by ANSI.

About Bartlett Tree Experts
The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company was founded in 1907 by Francis A. Bartlett and is the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company.  The organisation’s current chairman, Robert A. Bartlett Jr., represents the third generation of Bartlett family management.  Bartlett has offices in 25 U.S. states, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. Services include pruning, integrated pest and disease management, soil analysis and management, cabling and bracing, tree lightning protection systems and tree/stump removal. Its corporate offices are located in Stamford, Connecticut.