DP&L's tree trimming doesn't sit well with residents

Tree Trimming Tips

“Power lines and trees don’t mix,” said Bryce Nickel, vice president of service operations for DP&L.

To protect yourself from electrical hazards and your trees from harm, DP&L officials offer these suggestions.

• If you're planning to plant a tree, choose the site carefully to avoid future problems. For landscaping advice, you can visit www.dpandl.com/lc_tips.php or call the Ohio Utility Protection Service at 800-362-2764.

• Homeowners are responsible for keeping their service drop lines — the wires that run from the pole to the house — clear of trees. DP&L recommends hiring a professional tree service to do the trimming. DP&L will de-energize the line for free during trimming. Call 331-4860 a few days in advance to schedule an appointment.

• You may hire a professional tree service to trim your trees near power lines rather than having DP&L do it. For a list of authorized contractors, visit htttp://dpandl.com/contractors.php or call 331-3900 or 800-433-8500.

• In some cases, DP&L will remove entire trees that pose a threat to power lines or that have been seriously impaired by previous trimmings.

• For questions or complaints about tree trimming, call DP&L customer service at 331-3900 or 800-433-8500.

Ruth Ann Schmaltz had planned all summer to throw a baby shower on the patio behind her home on Sunday, July 5. But that was before DP&L line clearance crews trimmed back half the silver maple tree in her backyard.

“I couldn’t, because now there’s no shade,” Schmaltz said Wednesday. “They just butchered it.”

Many Dayton area residents say DP&L has become overly aggressive in clearing trees from high power lines since the windstorm last September that left thousands of homes and businesses without power for days.

Some cropped trees not only look ugly but are so impaired they can’t survive, said Rosemary Grant of Dayton’s St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood.

“Trimming a tree should not be a death sentence,” she said. “DP&L has turned poorly-trained trimmers loose on us.”

Before the windstorm, DP&L officials acknowledge, they used to clear lines on an as-needed basis. Under pressure from the public utilities commission, they now have a schedule for clearing 2,000 miles of line per year along an 11,000-mile grid.

They say the crews they contract with are certified and follow national guidelines. Those include a minimum clearance from power lines of 10 feet, and up to 14 feet for fast-growing trees, said Bryce Nickel, DP&L’s vice president of service operations.

A shorn tree “can be a visual shock,” Nickel said. But protecting the safety of residents and preventing loss of service must be DP&L’s first priorities, he said. “A downed power line is a potentially deadly situation.”

Arborist Tom Miller, who owns AAA Affordable Tree Service, said he can see both sides: “There’s a right way and wrong way to trim a tree.” But he added that line crews face time and safety constraints that don’t always lend themselves to ideal cuts.

“Tree limbs aren’t like something made in a factory,” he said. “Every situation is different.”