What Are Our Forestry Practices?

Vegetation Management Program

Brewing coffee. Charging a cell phone. Watching a television show. Many daily activities require a safe and reliable supply of electricity. One approach to ensure reliable service involves controlling the growth of trees and other vegetation on transmission rights-of-way, the sections of land where transmission power lines are located.

AEP Transmission's vegetation management program helps balance the need for reliable service with respect for the natural environment. The company uses contract forestry crews to complete vegetation management work.

Goals of the program:

Provide electric power to customers safely
Protect the electric system and reduce power outages
Minimize negative impacts to the environment
Comply with federal, state and local regulations
Work safely and efficiently
Foster positive relationships with customers and communities

General Practices

Property owners should never trim or remove tree limbs near power lines. Trained vegetation management crews know how to complete this work.

Tree Removal/Pruning

Crews can remove trees to control vegetation growth over the long term. Crews may also prune trees using any of the following methods based on an area's terrain, accessibility and other factors.

Manual: Involves using equipment such as hand-held pole saws. Qualified line clearance arborists follow best practices and standards from the International Society of Arboriculture, the American National Standards Institute and the Tree Care Industry Association.
Mechanical: Involves using motorized equipment such as mowers and wheel-based trimming machines.
Aerial Saw: Involves using a saw suspended from a helicopter.

Vegetation Clearing

Crews use manual or mechanical equipment during routine maintenance to clear woody-stemmed vegetation within and along rights-of-way.

Herbicides

Herbicides help control the root systems of woody-stemmed vegetation. Licensed specialists use herbicides registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the appropriate state regulatory agency.

Cleanup

Crews can keep vegetation debris on the right-of-way to decompose naturally. This process returns nutrients to the soil and reduces the possibility of soil erosion.

Working with Property Owners

Maintaining clear rights-of-way helps ensure electric reliability for customers while keeping the public and company workers safe. Company representatives work with property owners to communicate upcoming work, discuss clearing practices and address concerns prior to conducting work.

Tips To Stay Safe and Prevent Outages:

Contact the company if you notice trees or tall brush growing in a power line right-of-way.
Speak with company representatives to identify plants that are safe to place in the right-of-way.
Limit activities in the right-of-way to gardening, farming and other uses that do not interfere with the safe operation of electric facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Federal Requirements Exist For Vegetation Management?

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) created standards that made utilities responsible for establishing minimum clearance distances between transmission lines and the nearest vegetation. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties for utilities.

How Does AEP Adhere to the Requirements?

Crews remove trees and woody-stemmed vegetation within transmission rights-of-way. The extent of vegetation clearing depends on the voltage of the transmission line, the type of transmission structures, terrain and other factors.

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