March 16, 2000

Tangela Floyd

(219) 647-6377

NIPSCO Communications Specialist

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. – Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., is an advocate on proper tree care. NIPSCO and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) are sponsoring a Basic Tree Care workshop at 9 a.m. on March 29 at the Department of Parks, 455 Massachusetts Avenue, Gary, Ind.

Topics to be covered in the workshop include: Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place; Trees, People, and Utilities; Tree Planting and Maintenance; Proper Pruning Techniques; and Hazard Tree Identification.

The workshop is targeting street department personnel, parks department employees, tree board members, city planners, nursery employees, landscape contractors, and homeowners. A $15 pre-registration fee is required for all interested attendees. For additional information about the workshop, interested individuals my call the IDNR, Division of Forestry, Urban Forestry office at (317) 582-2410.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., is a regulated utility that provides natural gas to nearly 700,000 customers and electricity to 416,000 customers across the northern third of Indiana. NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company, and the second largest electric distribution company, in the state of Indiana. Information about NiSource Inc. and its subsidiaries is available via the Internet at www.nisource.com.

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