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On any given day somewhere in Springfield you will likely see a truck with Wright Tree Service on the side and employees in bucket lifts trimming limbs off trees.
According to City Utilities spokesman Joel Alexander, tree trimming is basically a never-ending project. Two are three areas, he says, are usually being worked on at the same time.
After the ice storm in January 2007 that knocked out power in much of the city, Alexander says they began a more aggressive effort to trim trees on a regular basis within the area that City Utilities serves…
"Years leading up to that--due to budget cuts and some other issues--we'd just kind of let that slack just a little bit, and I think 2007 really just kind of caught up with us, and I think some other utilities, not only in our area but across the country, had had some similar issues."
CU is in year four of a rotating cycle of going throughout the city to make sure trees and vegetation around the transmission and distribution lines are trimmed back far enough that they won’t cause problems. Primary voltage lines running through neighborhoods require a minimum of ten feet clearance, with no overhanging branches.
And it’s not just ice that can cause limbs to break and fall onto lines—high winds and thunderstorms can do the same. Alexander says you’ll see regular tree trimming in the city from now on. In fact, CU has set aside $2.75 million in the 2012 budget for tree management…
"That's a lot of money, but with 320 square miles to take care of of distribution and transmission lines, that's a lot of tree trimming we have to do."
CU contracts out its tree trimming project, although years ago it did have its own crews. Wright Tree Service is currently doing the job.
Alexander says CU has arborists on staff and they follow the guidelines of the Arbor Day Foundation…
"To make sure that these are done within those guidelines and that those trees are trimmed properly. We know it may not look like it is--20 feet back from a line is a pretty good cutback, but the folks that we have contracted with are professionals. They know exactly what to do, and it may not look exactly like the right cut, but it's the proper way to cut that tree back so it will grow back in a proper way."
But he acknowledges that people are passionate about their trees and, though most people understand the need for the work, not everyone is happy about having their trees cut back. He says sometimes a tree will have to be removed, but CU will work with the homeowner to put a proper tree in its place.
To see guidelines for tree planting that won’t interfere with power lines, visit www.cityutilities.net.
For KSMU News, I’m Michele Skalicky.
