Trees and right-of-way management are two topics we discuss here at your Cooperative regularly. Our Right-of-Way Program Manager, Joshua Baublitz, has put together a few of the most commonly asked questions to help you understand a bit more about our policies.
IMPORTANT: If you do come upon a tree that is directly in contact with one of our power lines, it is important that you contact us immediately by calling 1-800-326-9799. NO ONE - except a Claverack REC lineman - should ever attempt to remove a tree from a line, even if you suspect the line may not be energized.
In addition to the information below, please read about our herbicide use on rights-of-way by clicking here.
It depends. Because the volume of ash trees is incredibly high, our approach is to strategically remove as many ash trees as possible during our routine right-of-way maintenance activities. This means not every tree will be cut the first time we are there, but we will get as many as we can. It will take us time to move through the system, but a systematic, targeted approach will help us maintain reliability and keep costs down.
Some signs of our presence will be left behind after the maintenance work. The equipment we use often leaves marks on the ground and the vegetation. We make every effort to tread lightly and avoid leaving ruts, but sometimes the cutters may miss some brush or branches, or a site that seems accessible will turn out to be soft. If there are excessive disturbances like deep ruts that cause drainage issues or a slash that disrupts the normal use of your property, we will work with you to resolve those issues.
When planting trees, please look up. Power lines and vegetation do not mix, so if your tree has the potential to contact the lines, it will need to be trimmed or removed at some point. In the event of an emergency, our crews need access to the lines and poles. Trees under and in power lines can make that task impossible and cause further delay to get the power back on. In addition, it creates a hazard to our linemen.
Please use the graphic below as a guide to proper tree planting:
