They may prune trees in your yard that could come into contact with the power line. Mechanical clearing is usually the first stage of the ROW maintenance process. But the need for this type of invasive management is becoming less and less frequent, because new herbicidal technologies help keep tree growth down while allowing wildflowers and other herbaceous growth to flourish. Most co-ops use the backpack method in neighborhoods to keep the herbicide distribution selective and to keep the herbicide from drifting. Each co-op uses only trained and licensed personnel to apply herbicides.
Sprouts grow back from the tree roots after having been mechanically cut.
Crews walk through these ROW areas and apply an herbicide droplet mixture directly to the tree sprouts, so only those trees are controlled. This leaves low-growing plant growth that stops soil erosion and is good for the environment. Herbicides improve the land by enabling co-ops to control only the undesirable species of vegetation, while leaving those species essential for wildlife habitat. EnergyUnited crews use backpack sprayers to selectively target unwanted vegetation. All utilities have been using the increasingly popular herbicides for ROW management over the last few years.