Tree trimming by utility companies has been a fact of neighborhood life for decades, and over the years, homeowners have been mostly impartial when National Grid comes to inspect the trees that might be growing dangerously close to power lines. But this year, some Colonie homeowners are concerned that National Grid is coming dangerously close to destroying the trees and wildlife that make their homes beautiful.
Maria Sciotti, who lives near Sandcreek Road, said, This year they’ve cleared out a real lot, to the point where they’re getting into the wetlands, and it may be affecting the wildlife.
Sciotti said the wetlands are not far from her house, and it is a habitat that many animals call home. Her concern is that National Grid will damage them to the point where animals will either die off or find a new home ` taking the pleasure of having the nearby habitat away from her and other neighbors.
Sciotti said she has compiled a list of neighbors who shared her tree-cutting concerns.
`We just think it should be heard that some people are concerned with how much [National Grid] is cutting down,` said Sciotti.
Patrick Stella, spokesperson for National Grid, said the utility company tries its best to be careful when trimming the trees and they are aware of these concerns of homeowners.
`We take the trimming very seriously and we try to maintain what’s healthiest for the tree, what’s aesthetically pleasing and most importantly what’s safe,` he said.
Stella said the cutting of trees is part of a five-to-seven-year cycle National Grid does to inspect the lines.
`Our specifications are to have a 10-foot clearance from the top of the poles,` he said.
Sciotti’s neighbor Walter Unverhau, 82, of Colonie, shares her concerns.
Of particular concern to Unverhau are the spruce trees being cut.
`Over the years they’ve come and trimmed them,` said Unverhau. `And they’ve always been careful because spruce is a little bit different than the other tree.`
He continued, `They just trimmed against the tops of the trees, and they did quite a job on them. I understand they have the right of way and have to do this, but they can be a little careful too.`
According to Stella, National Grid meets national arborist standards and has been recognized by the International Society for Arborculture. He said that even though some trees may look harmless, they could cause severe damage in the event of a storm.
`In upstate New York, we have about 36,000 miles of distribution line,` said Stella, referring to the cables that National Grid manages. `Our lines are exposed to more than 12,000 trees. We have about 3,000 annual interruptions in New York that are caused by trees, and that does not include major storms.`
While Stella said National Grid has not cut more trees this year than in other years, he said it may appear so since National Grid visits certain locations within the five-to-seven-year cycle and residents might not remember what the trees looked like after the last trimming.
Unverhau said he had called National Grid to complain about the trees and had spoken to someone from the public relations department, but the damage was now already done.
While Stella said National Grid has received some complaints about the tree trimming, he said National Grid is following the same standards they always have and that they bring an arborist with them on the distribution line jobs to make sure they are doing the best job they can.
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