ISA offers a variety of educational materials to help arborists improve their arboricultural knowledge. Every month we will feature a product or group of products that will enhance your arboriculture education. This month, ISA is featuring the digital version of Utility Arboriculture: The Utility Specialist Certification Study Guide the 2018 ISA publication authored by Randall H. Miller and Geoffrey Kempter.  

This greatly expanded digital edition of the study guide for the ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist® certification exam is an essential text for professionals in the field of utility arboriculture. The release of the digital version was made possible through the support of the Utility Arborist Association and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

The digital Utility Arboriculture: The Utility Specialist Certification Study Guide is based on scientific research and proven best practices. This book provides utility arborists and foresters with the information necessary to navigate the complexities of today’s vegetation management industry.

“The book provides an understanding of the breadth of subject matter necessary in the specialty", Kempter and Miller said. “First it introduces readers to the history of utility arboriculture. It continues with chapters on safety, program and personnel management, pruning, integrated vegetation management, electrical knowledge, storm preparation and response, and ends by covering communication.”

Although the book focuses on utility arboriculture, Miller and Kempter wrote the book with a larger audience in mind.

“We like to think that by writing this book, we have helped raise the bar for the entire industry,” the authors said. “This means that everyone will benefit – starting with the professionals who perform the work, who are too often underpaid and underappreciated, but also for the public, who will get better value for the dollars spent on their utility bill, and our communities that will enjoy healthier, well‐cared-for and more productive urban forests. Further, by writing a text, we intended to help students interested in studying utility arboriculture. With the book, university professors now have a resource they can use to teach the subject. Finally, we wrote a study guide for candidates for the ISA Utility Specialist Exam. The ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist® certification sets utility arborists apart as it not only requires a depth of understanding of arboriculture, but also of the demands for providing safe, reliable electricity. The ISA Utility Specialist Exam needed a comprehensive guide that could be used for effective preparation and we hope we’ve met that need.”

Ultimately, Miller and Kempter said that they hope this publication raises the bar for professionalism in utility arboriculture and generates a greater respect for the work and skills of utility arborists.

“We hope aspiring utility arborists understand that there are great opportunities in the field; jobs that get you out of the office and into some amazing environments; jobs that are fulfilling and rewarding, and can make a difference in improving the environment and the quality of life for everyone,” they said. “Further, we desire for readers to gain a greater appreciation of the importance of utility arboriculture and the skills it demands.”

Any educational or preparatory material, whether published by ISA or not, should NOT be considered the sole source of information for an ISA certification examination. This publication and the ISA certification program exams are developed through separate processes and entities.