NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Nashville Electric Service is increasing their tree trimming efforts between now and July to keep up with their vegetation management goals, but some residents aren’t happy with the execution.
NES announced they’d be moving to a more aggressive tree trimming protocol after more than 230,000 customers lost power during January’s ice storm.
“The protocols call for a 15-foot trim clearance on both sides of a power line, up from the former 10-foot clearance protocol,” NES said in a statement. “The trimming will now be done with no overhang above the power lines. We have increased our Vegetation Management efforts between now and July to ensure we meet our tree trimming cycle goals. Moving forward, we will return to the trimming cycle of approximately 1,600 miles per year.”
Albert Kunugi said he came home about a week ago to find an NES crew working on the tree in his front yard and several others in his East Nashville neighborhood.
“No heads up,” he told WSMV. “I came home when the truck was in my yard and then they cut it. So my yard was piled up for a couple of days, and then a couple of days later, a chipper came.”
He said it’s not the first time NES has trimmed his trees, but this year was the most aggressive it’s been.
“It upsets me every year, but this year is the worst,” he said. “I fear just by looking at it, it’s going to come falling down with the straight line wind.”
The tree is now lopsided and leaning toward Kunugi’s house. He said he plans to pay to have an arborist come out to inspect it.
“They didn’t seal anything of the bigger branches they cut, so who’s to say that tree’s not going to die and fall over as well,” he said. “I’m going to have to get someone out here to get us a professional opinion on it, and then of course that’s out of pocket.”
Kunugi’s neighbor Adam Keith noticed it, too.
“That tree, I just think that’s almost like a hazard at this point,” Keith said. “I mean, there’s at least a, probably a dozen trees that they just chopped. I mean, I’m sure none of these guys are arborists. They’re out here just hacking them down.”
Both Keith and Kunugi remember January’s ice storm and said they understand the need to trim back the trees, but wish it was done more carefully.
“Really, it is a good thing, I think, to get ahead of it,” Keith said. “It kind of stinks for the trees and for the neighborhood. I mean, they don’t exactly do it in the most delicate fashion, but I mean, I understand that you do have to get ahead of those storms.”
“We understand the aesthetic value of Nashville’s trees,” NES said in a statement. “NES is committed to working with homeowners to provide educational resources on planting the right tree in the right place. While the updated trimming protocols are more assertive, they will be carried out by professional crews following industry standards to ensure the long-term health of the trees.”
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