Tree Trimming and Planting

Tree Trimming and Planting

Tree and limb contact with power lines is one of the most frequent causes of outages. Members can reduce interruptions and prevent outages with proper tree selection, planting, and maintenance.

Tree Planting

What to Plant

When making landscape design decisions, consider the following:

• Climate
• Care and maintenance
• Appearance
• Location
• Overall size (mature height)

Certain species of trees, both deciduous and coniferous, are better for planting near power lines, some of which can be found in both shrub and tree form. Nursery professionals can help determine the best options, which may include:

• Maple
• Dogwood
• Hawthorn
• Flowering Crabapple
• Chokecherry
• Arborvitae
• Shrubs

Where to Plant

The right tree planted in the right location provides environmental, economic, and aesthetic benefits for the property owner and the community. To maintain the beauty of your landscaping, public safety, and reliability of electric service, it’s important to ensure that any tree planting does not interfere with any overhead or underground utility lines.

Call Before You Dig State and federal laws require marking of all underground utilities before any excavation. Regardless of where you are planting, call Gopher State One Call to request a locate several days before digging. Call 811 or 1-800-252-1166. Facility marks are valid for 14 calendar days.

The Right Tree

Tree Trimming/Right-Of-Way Maintenance

Trees are the #1 cause of outages

Vegetation Maintenance Required

The National Electric Safety Code, which sets guidelines for the safeguarding of utility workers and the general public in relation to electrical equipment, requires the maintenance of proper tree clearance in the utility easement.

Section V - General Rules And Conditions of Service

By receiving the electric service from Connexus Energy, the member is deemed to consent to Connexus Energy’s entrance on the member’s property to trim, cut, or remove trees and other vegetation, including the application of approved herbicides, as Connexus Energy determines to be necessary for its line maintenance program.

Connexus Energy is obligated and committed to providing safe and reliable power to our members, employees and the general public by adhering to the maintenance guidelines.

Systematic Line Maintenance

Connexus Energy conducts a systematic vegetation maintenance program to provide reliable electrical service along with safe operating conditions. In order to achieve both, routine vegetation activities are completed on a regular maintenance cycle of approximately every five to eight years.

2022 Scheduled Routine Maintenance Tree Trimming Cycle

• Isanti/ Long Lake and surrounding area
• Briggs Lake/Elk Lake
• Soderville
• Ham Lake
• Southern portion of Blaine

Connexus Energy will trim, cut, or remove the tree that, in its judgment, may cause an interruption in service, endanger Connexus Energy electric lines, present a safety hazard. Connexus Energy may also utilize approved herbicides in its line maintenance program. Connexus Energy will make a reasonable effort to inform members of its line maintenance program prior to starting the work.

Where possible, offending trees shall be removed entirely. Tree trimming must provide at least 10 feet of clearance from Connexus Energy’s conductors, provided, however, that Connexus Energy reserves the right to trim, cut, or remove trees farther than 10 feet from Connexus Energy’s conductors, if Connexus Energy determines that this additional clearance is necessary to accomplish the purposes of its line maintenance program. Any tree trimming, cutting, or removal shall conform to any recorded easements.

What to Expect

If your property falls within the systematic routine vegetation maintenance schedule you will receive a postcard or automated phone message from Connexus Energy notifying which contractor and a contact number for the certified tree inspector that will be working in your neighborhood.

After your trees have been evaluated by a certified tree inspector, you will receive a notice on your door. In order to avoid delays we ask that you thoroughly review the notice and respond back to your designated tree inspector according to the instructions on the notice in a timely manner. Connexus will dispose of the brush and leave on site wood cut into manageable lengths greater than four inches in diameter that is generated from the scheduled maintenance trimming. Any dead or diseased tree debris is the property owner’s responsibility to discard of in accordance with state or local guidelines.

Non-scheduled tree maintenance

Member Request

If you are concerned that branch or a tree is too close to a power line, call us to inspect the vegetation clearance. Do not go near or touch a tree touching a power line. In such cases where a property owner request a tree or branch removed, and Connexus Energy’s electric wires present an obstacle, Connexus Energy will assess and solely determine which action to take, during regular working hours, (1) remove the lines temporarily while the work is being done by the owner or their licensed tree contractor, or (2) trim the tree/branch to an approved distance from the power line leaving the remaining portion of the tree and the clean-up work to be done by the owner; in both cases, no charge will be assessed to the owner.

Storm Damaged Trees

If trees have been damaged by a storm, cutting and trimming will be done at the discretion of Connexus Energy in order to remove the danger and repair the lines. Clean-up work and any yard damage, including ruts from equipment or damage to other trees resulting from falling limbs/trees, shall be the responsibility of the property owner/member.

Member-Owned

Connexus Energy is not responsible for the following:

• Trimming or removal of trees that endanger the owner’s own lines located beyond the point of service.

• Trimming and/or removing shrubs to gain access to pad-mount equipment on a utility easement. Please review planting guidelines near transformers.