Manage trees and plants near power lines

• Carry electricity across the state
• Transport bulk electricity at high voltages ranging from 60 kV-500 kV
• Are usually supported on tall metal towers, but sometimes on wooden poles
• Have different vegetation standards than distribution lines due to the high voltages they carry
• Are managed using the utility industry’s best-management practice of Wire Zone Border Zone
• Require only low-growing vegetation underneath—typically nothing taller than 10 feet at maturity

Our goal is to achieve a sustainable landscape that supports native plants and natural habitats. Trees near these lines can't be managed by pruning and often must be removed.

• Deliver electricity to neighborhoods and communities over a shorter distance than transmission lines
• Are generally supported by wooden poles and not as high as transmission lines
• Are the final stage of electricity delivery to homes and businesses
• Carry lower voltage electricity that is still powerful enough to cause injury or death

Trees growing near these lines may be managed with directional pruning, but removal is often best.