“If you plant it, it will grow!” according to Cindy Jenkins, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative’s utility forester.
Her tongue-in-cheek perspective on planting near power line rights-of-way is based on years of experience with people who locate trees or shrubs too close to circuits and poles.
In the electric distribution business, vegetation management aims to clear or trim ROW in order to prevent power outages. This means getting as much as 30-40 feet of clearance in order to properly protect BREC’s equipment.
Jenkins’ job would be much easier if homeowners would consider the growth potential of trees and other plantings.
“Don’t plant under the lines or too close on either side. We recommend a clear zone at least 20 feet to either side of a circuit,” Jenkins said.
It might take 5-10 years for a tree to grow enough to pose a threat, but eventually it will have to be trimmed or cut down. This puts BREC and the property owner on opposite sides of an issue.
“People who have landscaped their property don’t like having trees cut. It is understandable. Trees are beautiful and often have sentimental value far beyond their actual market worth,” she acknowledged.
“But BREC has a legal obligation to keep its electric lines clear of hazards. If trees put the public welfare at risk, we don’t have a choice. The trees have to come out.”
Topping trees in a ROW is not an option. Called “flat-topping” for its similarity to the popular haircut, this type of severe pruning actually encourages trees and tall-growing shrubs to concentrate regenerative efforts from the bottom up.
A sensible solution is to plant types of vegetation that don’t have the potential to grow into power lines… period.
“Local nurseries and garden centers stock low-growing trees and landscape plants,” Jenkins noted. “These varieties can be planted along – but not inside – the ROW clearance zone, and we’ll never have to worry about their growth habits. Many of these plants make attractive landscape accents due to their flowers and shapes.”
Recommended species, listed by common name, for planting include:
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