Early this year Alliant Energy has been performing lots of tree trimming around power lines in Milton. While some may have concerns about the "deforestation" of our beautiful City, Alliant Energy does have important reasons for removing limbs and, in some cases, whole trees around power lines. Below is text from a recent Alliant Energy newsletter with more information on their policy...
"Trees and power lines aren't a good combination - especially when weather brings lightning, ice or high winds. To help minimize weather-related outages along transmission and distribution lines, Alliant Energy trims tress on a regular basis.
We [Alliant Energy] are granted permission to trim trees under franchise and easement agreements with the communities we serve. Our crews, which include both Alliant Energy and contract workers, follow standards approved by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The amount of trimming that is done depends on the species of tree, how close it is to the power lines, and how fast the tree grows.
Typically, our crews use "directional pruning" methods that train the tree to grow away from the line, minimizing the need for and severity of future trimming. We strive to protect the health of the tree while still providing the established minimum safety clearance."
In addition to Alliant Energy trimming, we have also seen recent trimming by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) along the rail corridors. You can see this clearly west of the RR crossing on John Paul Rd. by Dollar General. City staff is following-up with WSOR because it appears that they have simply left the trimmed branches and limbs along the side of the tracks. I assume they plan to clean up this debris, but we don't know when. I'll post more information when we hear back from WSOR.
Thanks for your understanding with all of these trimming projects.
