When it comes to clearing the strips of land along utility lines, or the rights-of-way, many contractors have struggled to find an efficient method of trimming trees. For open areas, manufacturers have developed large-scale mechanical trimmers equipped with saw blades mounted on long booms. But for distribution lines in metropolitan areas and other confined spaces, contractors are caught in a tight spot — literally. Most resort to using chain saws and bucket trucks, slowly working their way down the line. However, for Kappen Tree Service this approach simply wouldn’t work.
As with many utilities on Kappen’s client list, part of the DTE Energy ongoing preventive maintenance program, is to visit each community in their service area, on average, every four to five years to clear trees away from pole-to-pole power lines. The utility contracts all of their line clearance work to professional tree-trimming services who follow accepted industry standards for line clearance, including directional pruning…
