Debate over future of Connecticut's trees

[edfrank]

Storms that knocked out power stir emotional debate over future of Connecticut's trees
STEPHEN SINGER Associated Press, Posted: December 04, 2011 - 11:47 am
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/0 ... now-Trees/

HARTFORD, Conn. — Once again, Connecticut's trees are at the center of a storm.

Countless trees and limbs were brought down by the remnants of Hurricane Irene in late August. Two months later, trees with their leaves still fully on branches were overwhelmed by a rare October snowstorm and were felled by heavy snow. Both times, overhead electric lines were tangled in downed branches, which blocked roads and slowed repair trucks. Politicians, utilities and tree-lovers are now battling over the future of trees in one of the most heavily forested states.

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Opponents of broader tree clearance have skewed priorities, said state Sen. Steve Cassano, D-Manchester.

The Greenwich Tree Conservancy would disagree. It's urging state officials to require Connecticut Light & Power to bury power lines to avoid tree removal. "The cutting down of hundreds of thousands of trees is not going to solve the problem," said Peter Malkin, president of the group. "It would be an environmental disaster."

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[ElijahW]

Ed,

I'd favor burying the power lines, as long as the taxpayers are willing to foot the bill, but wouldn't that also result in a lot of tree loss from digging the trenches? A neighbor of mine is locked in a battle with another neighbor and the town over a similar issue, in their case moving the power lines across the street and cutting down the first neighbor's old sugar maples vs. burying the lines directly beneath where they are currently and making a big (though temporary) mess in the second neighbor's yard. I really don't care because I have neither a yard nor mature trees in the area of dispute. The whole thing makes for a good feud, though.

Elijah

[Chris]

but wouldn't that also result in a lot of tree loss from digging the trenches?

Also, if they need to replace lines, they have to dig it up. I recall a site near where I was living a couple years ago where they had to cut and dig up a large swath through a forest to "install" higher capacity lines.