Announcement

Guest column: Think before you plant

Monday, April 3, 2023

The following appeared in the spring 2023 Ocean Pines Report quarterly newsletter: /documents/20124/91011/OP_newsletter_v55no2_web.pdf/1c689745-6978-787a-9c5d-bcac2b1ff3c3

By Mike Malandro, President & CEO Choptank Electric Cooperative

Spring weather is finally here, and with that comes outdoor activities and chores. If planting and digging are on your to-do list this season, we encourage you to practice the safe vegetation management practices outlined below to avoid harm, power line damage and costly repairs.

If you’re planning to plant new trees around your property, there are important things to consider before selecting the location and type of tree. Determine first where the tree will be planted, then if it will interfere with any underground power lines based on how far the roots will travel. You may need to adjust the location of the tree if it will affect utility lines, or choose a different type of tree.

To be sure the area selected to plant the tree is safe, another vegetation management practice is to call the national call-before-you-dig phone number by dialing 811 before you dig any hole. This will aid in selecting where to plant your trees by requesting the marking of approximate locations of buried utilities with paint or flags, so you don’t unintentionally dig into an underground utility line. Once all utilities have marked their buried lines, you can dig carefully around any utility marks and relocate projects that are close to buried utilities, considering that tree roots travel over time as well.

An improperly placed tree causes nearly 15% of all outages on our system. Proper vegetation management provides reliable electricity to the Cooperative’s members. Additional activities such as tree trimming, tree removal, mowing and herbicide application to clear noncompatible vegetation from within and around the varying utility resources maintained by Choptank Electric keeps all lines, equipment and staff safe.

Following sound vegetation management techniques that meet all local, state and federal regulations while enriching the natural resources of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, vegetation management represents the largest portion of Choptank Electric’s Right-of-Way budget. This provides maintenance activities for all nine counties in a three-year maintenance cycle. But it’s up to our members to also maintain proper vegetation management around their homes to ensure additional reliability and safety.

Visit choptankelectric.coop/vegetation-management to learn more about proper tree planting and choptankelectric.coop/you-dig-miss-utility to learn more about marking underground utility lines. Our Member Service Line is also available to call Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with additional questions at 877-892-0001.

Announcement

Guest column: Think before you plant

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