The UVM podcast shares innovative ideas and insights in Utility Vegetation Management. We facilitate knowledge sharing within the industry, and raise public awareness around what we do.
Hosted by Stephen Cieslewicz and Nick Ferguson.
Sponsored by LiveEO, turning satellite data into actionable insights here on Earth.

In this episode Nick and Stephen interview David Bayard, the Vegetation Manager at Seattle City Light, the 10th largest publicly owned utility in the United States. With a job that includes oversight and involvement with both UVM and the municipal/urban forest, David provides insights into what some have wrongly considered to be competing interests. During this thoughtful, and at times philosophic interview, they discuss a range of topical issues including:

• How an English Literature major moves from prose to UVM
• The history of Seattle City Light
• The migrating fire problem in Washington State
• Potential changes to utility practices as a result of the increased threat of fires in the Pacific Northwest.
• Seattle City Light’s customer focus and accomplishments
• Successfully managing priorities for canopy cover, social equity, and the need for providing safe and reliable electric service.
• Seattle City Light’s past and future UVM-related Tech capabilities