Tree Care????

[Husky288XP]

Do you consider Line clearance, ROW, etc, if properly done, tree care?

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Yes, if the trees' health is cared for and maintained as much as possible while maintaining utility service.

The outgoing president of ISA, Mike Neal, is a utility arborist.

This was a rhetorical question, right?

 

[SteveBullman]

Originally posted by Husky288XP
if properly done

them theres the key words, dont often see line clearance work "properly done"

 

[John Stewart]

I agree with Rocky but are they arborist or are they linemen?
Later
John

 

[MasterBlaster]

When I was doing it I tried to make good cuts. I couldn't do it every time, but I tried. I've even been beeched at for doing it, too much cutting, leave that stub.
My point is I actually cared, and that's better than some fool just wacking away.
I hate stubs!

 

[Guy Meilleur]

They are arborists if they can take and pass the following:

http://www.isa-arbor.com/certification/resources/UtilityApp2003.pdf

and work to maintain healthy trees that they have to clear away from the lines.

Note in the test 15% of it is Customer Relations. An essential skill for anyone who deals with trees is to know how to deal with their owners.

 

[John Stewart]

Ya MB I got yelled at alot!
The problem was I yelled back and had many a argument with my foreman over proper tree cut's
He told me I was in the wrong part of the tree industry!
You know he was right and that is why I quit!
Those hydro guy's still burn my aaaaaaassssssss
Later
John

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Butch,
Regardless of the type of cut you made, you were still cutting to maintain line clearance, not pruning for tree health. Line clearance guys cut green and dead limbs within 10' (or whatever) of the wires and do not touch anything that is far enough away from the wires. Nothing they do has anything to do with the health of the tree, even if one guy decides he will try to make proper branch collar cuts instead of leaving stubs. It ain't tree care no matter how one tries to dress it up. They will cruise right past the big dead limb 25' from the wire and cut the healthy green limb 9'11" from the wire.

Yup.

Do we need a poll on this too?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Nah, let's just all stop using 'lectricity!

 

[Nickrosis]

So what do you call tree work done because it interferes with people? People clearance? No! It's tree care then too. Tree care is working with trees, people, and other obstacles, including power lines.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
The only similarity is that we both work on trees.

That's the only similarity?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I ain't big into blabbing more than I have to.

I just said I tried to help the tree out whenever I could. But there were many times I was very Hun-like. I ain't proud of it.

 

[JJackson]

I am involved in the utility field and I tend to think its not tree care in the sense of the looks of the tree. We prune the tree using proper cuts, usually back to the main trunk leaving the collar intact. At least in the case of the company I am contracted to (APS as mentioned Mike Neal is the president of the ISA and the head of vegetation management for APS). Yeah we dont leave things looking pretty, I am sure we could with a large increase in the power rates, then the same people would by complaining about that. The goal is to maintain the minimum clearance so if a dead brach is 25' or even 6' away depending on the line voltage we are not going to touch it, why would we its not our job. We do sometimes take these limbs out because of customer relations. If the homeowner would consult a arborist before planting a tree it would be great. And yes I know some trimmers that are ISA certified even as utility arborist, but very few stay.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

"Nothing they do has anything to do with the health of the tree, ...It ain't tree care no matter how one tries to dress it up. They will cruise right past the big dead limb 25' from the wire and cut the healthy green limb 9'11" from the wire."

Here the utilities are allowed to work in a zone near the wires but not outside that zone. That's why they leave things outside the zone, nothing about caring. I quit doing line work because I couldn't focus on the lines instead of the tree; unsuited for the task.

A utility arborist who works well according to
http://www.isa-arbor.com/certification/resources/UtilityApp2003.pdf

is imvho caring more for trees than a hiredgun climber is on the days he is removing healthy trees on demand just to make an easy living.

 

[arboromega]

here i am chiming in again with the same case, only ill let rocky carry the torch on this one. rocky is correct. LC is not tree care it is vegetation management. in this case the vegetation of the trees threaten the lines, therefore the vegetation gets managed(removed). LC is supposed to use ANSI standard cuts, but they manage the vegetation to care for the lines.

 

[NeTree]

tree care would be moving the lines around the tree.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yup. I'm sure that wouldn't increase utility bills one bit!

And the lines would look great!

 

[Nickrosis]

Sample Outrageous Post

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Better to remove it than top it, Hacker Guy. Keep talking, you continue to expose yourself for the hack freak you are. And as long as you keep throwing out undeserved insults, I'll toss them right back, hack.

 

[matthias]

We start our utility contract in a couple of weeks and go straight through until the end of March. After doing 85% deadwooding all summer I am going to have a hard time switching over into line clearance mode. I have a hard time calling it tree care due to the fact that it is not that beneficial to the tree.

Removing branches that are rubbing on poly coated primaries may prevent a fire when it finally gets through but ultimately it is for the sake of the line. The contract states proper pruning methods, no gaffs on trims, disinfecting of saws between Elms and a small allowance of time for customer requests but it is all to help prevent people phoning the utility and complaining. People like to b**ch and they usually don't need much of a reason to do it.

I don't mind being considered some kind of a hack for doing it because it pays better and it keeps me off employment insurance (and the bottle) for the winter. And plus I'll have all of next summer to try and redeem myself when I go back to "tree care" mode.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Better to remove it than top it, Hacker Guy. Keep talking, you continue to expose yourself for the hack freak you are. And as long as you keep throwing out undeserved insults, I'll toss them right back, hack.

That's it, Brian. Set a good example. I wouldn't expect anything less.

Or, more.