One clarification about a comment attributed to me in Ben Myers’ well-researched “Consider This” article regarding the fate of trees trimmed by National Grid. The article stated “trees trimmed by the utility often die,” which is not fully correct. Branch-trimming won’t kill a tree very often, which is the large focus of National Grid’s trimming technique. The practice often causing a tree’s demise is what I call “top cropping,” when the top portion of the tree containing the bulk of the canopy is cut off. Once a tree is top-cropped, the tree’s decline is rapid, leaving an unsightly roadside mess for us to clean up. While this practice is less than 2% of what I see done by National Grid, I do intend to discuss the practice with National Grid and ask them to stop it; if there is a tree threatening the wires, my preference is to review it, and remove it entirely.
In addition, I have asked National Grid to supply me with an annual vegetation management and hazard tree removal plan as per MGL 87 Section 14, and to make this a yearly practice going forward in light of the issues we’ve had with power in Harvard. In general, my National Grid contact for matters regarding dangerous trees is responsive to my queries and they have removed several trees at their expense that I have identified to them as potential risks to power delivery in town. If you can believe it, I find National Grid easier to deal with than Verizon on matters regarding dangerous trees.
JC Ferguson
Harvard Tree Warden
