DEVELOPING A UTILITY LINE ARBORETUM

Distribution of publications discouraging the practice of planting inappropriately-tall trees under utility lines has not been particularly effective as evidenced by their continuing selection. To create higher visibility of both this problem and one solution, the use of smaller trees as well as large shrubs, a utility line arboretum was developed to showcase potentially superior tree and shrub selections for the utility line - street tree conflict area. Trees are valuable assets to commercial, private, and public landscapes. Trees are used to augment or modify many aesthetic, archi- tectural, climatic, and engineering features in landscapes and, in addition, they increase property value. Unfortunately, trees can be a major expense to utility companies. Utility companies spend over $1.5 billion annually on labor and materials for tree pruning and removal caused by the selection and planting of tree species with inappropriate mature heights (16), or the erection of utility lines where tall trees already existed (Figure 1). An additional indirect expense incurred by utility companies maintaining overhead line easements is the public relations problem that develops when the public is critical of the management (especially pruning) of trees in these easements (18). Despite publicity warning against the use of trees that are too tall, poor tree species selection continues. Though line clearance pruning methods such as natural, lateral, and directional pruning have been developed to minimize tree disfigurement (14) (Figure 2), these methods are not universally employed (1).