Tree trimmers begin in west Carson City

Tree trimmers contracted by Sierra Pacific Power Co. will cut branches near power lines beginning today in west Carson City. Over the next 10 months, they'll also be trimming trees in Minden, Yerington, Hawthorne and Schurz.

The goal of the utility's tree trimming program is to prevent electrical outages and eliminate safety hazards, according to Terry Saunders, line clearance administrator for Sierra Pacific. "We trim trees year-round in Reno, Fallon and Lake Tahoe and on a rotating basis in the other communities we serve," Saunders said. "Foresters with Western Environmental Consultants who are contracted by Sierra Pacific identify the trees that need to be trimmed.

Tree-related outages accounted for nearly 17 percent of all the outages in Sierra Pacific's Northern Nevada service territory in 1999, Saunders said.

"We have our contractors follow the work practices recommended by The International Society of Arboriculture," Sauders explained. "Proper trimming to maintain the right clearance may sometimes look severe at first because cuts are made back to a main stem, but trees will regrow at a normal rate and are trained away from power lines."