For utility companies, effective vegetation management along rights-of-way is more than routine maintenance, it’s a matter of safety, service reliability, environmental responsibility, and regulatory compliance.
The Importance of Right-of-Way Vegetation Management
Uncontrolled vegetation poses a serious threat to utility infrastructure. Overgrown trees and brush can interfere with power lines, leading to outages, equipment damage, and even catastrophic wildfires. Maintaining vegetation along utility corridors ensures unobstructed access for routine maintenance and emergency response, especially during severe weather events or natural disasters.
Beyond safety and reliability, well-executed vegetation management contributes to healthier ecosystems. By removing invasive species and promoting the growth of low-growing native vegetation, utility companies can support pollinators and create sustainable wildlife habitats within transmission corridors.
Northeast Blackout of 2003
On August 14, 2003, the largest blackout in North American history left more than 50 million people without power across parts of the U.S. and Canada. The affected area stretched from Ohio to the Eastern Seaboard and included most of Ontario, Canada. The economic impact was estimated at $6 billion. Among the root causes, the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force cited a failure to adequately manage tree growth along transmission lines.
In response, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) established new vegetation management standards (FAC-003), requiring transmission owners to:
- Maintain minimum clearances between transmission lines and vegetation.
- Manage vegetation on and along transmission rights-of-way.
- Report vegetation-related outages to Regional Reliability Organizations (RROs) and NERC.
- Establish and maintain annual vegetation management programs.
Strategies for Effective Vegetation Control
Utility companies face a wide range of terrain and environmental conditions, requiring tailored approaches to vegetation control. Successful vegetation management begins with accurate plant identification, allowing professionals to distinguish between desirable and hazardous species. This ensures that only threatening vegetation is removed while preserving the surrounding ecosystem.
Diagram Credit: Georgia Power
An integrated vegetation management plan, utilizing a combination of mechanical and chemical controls, is often the most efficient and cost-effective approach while also achieving the best results. Mechanical cutting involves the use of machinery to trim or remove vegetation. This method is often required when mature vegetation is encroaching into the border zone from outside of the utility right-of-way or when the height of the vegetation growing within the right-of-way corridor has exceeded a tolerable threshold. Mechanical maintenance practices can be labor-intensive and may involve the utilization of multiple vehicles and large or specialized machinery such as tractors, bucket trucks, boom saws, and chippers.
Utilizing herbicides to manage vegetative growth, or chemical control, is an effective strategy that will complement, and in some instances can supplant, mechanical vegetation management efforts. This method can be particularly effective for invasive species that are difficult to manage mechanically. Herbicide applications offer selectivity and can be customized to target specific species or types of unwanted vegetation. Adjusting the application technique even allows a vegetation manager to target an individual plant, with little to no impact on its surroundings or the environment. For instance, Alligare's Whetstone is a low-use, selective herbicide that provides control of many invasive and noxious weeds and is excellent on legume species and vines. Whetstone's versatility allows it to be applied as a broadcast application, or as an individual plant treatment, using target foliar, cut-stump, or dormant-stem techniques. To broaden the spectrum of species controlled, Alligare's Triclopyr 3 and MSM 60 herbicides make excellent tank-mix partners.
Whetstone’s active ingredient, aminopyralid, is registered under the EPA’s Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative for its favorable environmental profile. According to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, reduced-risk pesticides are designed to:
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Lower risks to human health and non-target organisms.
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Reduce the potential for water contamination.
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Enhance the effectiveness and adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
Leveraging Technology in Vegetation Management
Advancements in technology have introduced new tools and methods for vegetation management. Drones are now used to apply herbicides with precision, especially in difficult-to-access or sensitive environments. They also enable aerial inspections and vegetation mapping, helping identify high-risk areas quickly and efficiently.
Other innovative technologies include the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping and planning vegetation management activities. This technology allows for more precise and efficient management, reducing the need for manual inspections and helping to prioritize areas requiring immediate attention.
Balancing Environmental Concerns with Utility Needs
While vegetation management is essential for utility operations, it must be approached with environmental sensitivity. Transmission corridors frequently intersect with or border ecologically sensitive areas, requiring a careful balance between maintaining infrastructure and preserving natural habitats. A well-designed Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) program achieves this by using environmentally responsible practices, such as the targeted use of selective herbicides, to control invasive species and encourage the growth of native plant populations. This approach not only supports biodiversity but also reduces the reliance on mechanical methods, lowering long-term maintenance costs and environmental impact.
