Tree trimming in your area? Marshall County REMC’s contractors will place this door hanger on your front door before beginning work in your area.

Members may occasionally see workers cutting limbs and branches or taking down trees along a right-of-way and wonder why all of that is necessary. Maintaining the vegetation along our infrastructure is crucial for the reliability of our system. Your electric service can be disrupted when tree limbs and plant growth interfere with or fall on overhead electric lines. This can cause power outages, resulting in service calls, extra expense and major inconvenience for many members.

To keep your power flowing smoothly, we work with Mint City Tree Service, a vegetation management contractor for utilities. Mint City Tree Service is responsible for trimming trees within our utility rights-of-way. All areas of our electric system are pruned on a five-year cycle, and the goal is to remove all limbs and branches within 10 feet of our overhead primary lines.

Mint City Tree Services will evaluate your property along the right-of-way and determine what clearance work will need to be done. A door hanger will be placed on your door a week or two before, explaining the work they would like to undertake on your property.

A Mint City Tree crew works to remove the remaining tree limbs and brush along the right-of-way.

“This is a perfect time to ask questions or discuss trees you may be concerned about,” said Tod Brems, operations manager of Marshall County REMC. “If you have concerns about the planned clearance work, don’t hesitate to call the number provided on the door hanger.”

As part of our tree trimming process, crews will chip the branches they remove from the trees in your yard. Wood pieces that cannot be chipped will be cut into manageable lengths and left near the base of the tree. In areas that are natural and not actively groomed, wood/brush may be left to naturally decompose.

You should never attempt to prune or remove trees that are close to the power lines. Tree work near power lines requires specialized equipment and OSHA-mandated worker safety and skills training. If additional pruning or tree removal beyond what we provide in our scheduled maintenance program is desired, you may hire an electrically qualified tree contractor to complete that work at your own expense. We will work closely with you and your qualified contractor.