High quality power is one of the essentials for living a normal life on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Trees and limbs that grow into power lines can cause outages or blinks in your electric service.
A&N Electric Cooperative conducts a year-round vegetation management program to enhance electric service. The program includes the removal and trimming of trees that may endanger the quality of service and the safety of the public.
Professional tree trimming companies are employed to perform tree work as specified by the Cooperative, professional organizations and government agencies.
The need for tree trimming peaks during and after the active growing season each year. We must prioritize and schedule our tree trimming activities throughout the year. Please do not trim, prune or cut down trees that are near overhead power lines. Contact us at 757-787-9750 for your tree trimming questions. We will evaluate your request and assist you as quickly as possible.
Tree Line USA
The Arbor Day Foundation has named A&N Electric Cooperative a Tree Line USA in honor of its commitment to proper tree pruning, planting and care in the cooperative's service area.
Tree Pruning for Safety & Reliability
As part of our continuing effort to provide safe and reliable electric service, A&N Electric Cooperative has contracted with Asplundh Tree Expert Co. to prune trees that interfere with the Cooperative's power lines. Tree limbs coming into contact with power lines can cause safety hazards and service outages.
Our qualified utility arborists will only prune branches that could affect the power lines - especially during high winds or under load from snow and ice - and dead or weakened branches at risk of falling onto the lines. Branches growing away from the power lines will not be pruned.
We follow pruning standards set by the American National Standards Institute (A300 Standards), the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Tree Care Industry. These standards help provide reliable electricity safely, while at the same time promoting the health and well being of your trees.
Pruning Methods
Directional pruning (or natural pruning) removes only the branches that are growing toward the power lines. This practice protects tree health while directing future growth away from the power lines. We do not perform indiscriminate cutting of tree branches, or "topping." Directional pruning encourages trees to grow away from power lines. Rounding over or "topping" damages trees and causes rapid growth toward the lines.
Pruning Cuts
Proper pruning cuts minimize injury to the tree. Cuts should not damage the branch collar or leave a stub. Cutting just outside the branch collar allows the tree to "seal" the cut surface.
Plant the Right Tree, in the Right Place
You can help avoid the need for utility tree pruning by planting trees where they will not grow to affect the power lines. Before selecting and planting a tree, remember to look up to determine where the tree will be located in relation to over-head utility lines. Planting shorter tree species near power lines reduces the need for utility pruning.
Safety First
Remember: Power lines carry high electrical voltages! We employ trained professionals to clear vegetation from power lines. Never attempt to clear the lines yourself. Do not allow children to climb trees near power lines.
Trees Are Beneficial
Trees add beauty and enhance the quality of life in our community. Trees are nature's sentries: screening out the scorching summer sun and buffering the brutal winter winds. However, falling trees and tree branches are a major cause of power outages. In order to keep the flow of electricity safe and reliable, it is sometimes necessary to prune or remove trees.
For more information on Tree Health and Care, visit these web sites:
Internation Society of Arboriculture
National Arbor Day Foundation
Utility Arborist Association
A&N Electric Cooperative and Asplund Tree Expert Co. are working together to provide safety, reliable electric service to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Asplundh Tree Export Company
100 Carlson, Suite 14
Dover, Delaware 19901
Office Phone: 302-678-4702
asplundh.com