That's what does it. So does heavy ice, which causes branches and limbs to droop and even break off. By pruning the trees, utilities can limit the outages and safety hazards the trees can cause. It's more than just preventing downed power lines, said Don Carter, Richland's deputy city manager for utilities and physical services. Though it's not a likely possibility, with enough moisture trees can actually become a conductor of electricity if branches hit power lines.
Power outages are more common complications.
Roughly half of all outages in Richland involve trees, Carter said. With more trees to trim, Benton PUD has a year-round pruning program. With fewer trees, Franklin PUD gets to every tree that needs to be trimmed routinely about once a year. In Richland and Benton County, it's more like once every three years. Though pruning trees can cut back on power outages and safety hazards, some residents simply can't be satisfied, Carter said.