01 Aug
In 2014, we implemented a vegetation management program to minimize fire risk and outages. During the first six-year cycle we cleared all overhead distribution lines at least once within our 5,000-plus square-mile service territory, including:
• 1,605 miles of lines in the Sedalia operating district,
• 1,388 miles of lines in and around Woodland Park,
• 1,174 miles of lines in the Conifer operating district, and
• 892 miles of lines in the Strasburg area.
Crews will begin a new planned cycle in January. We will send a mailed notice if work is planned for your area, and hang an additional notice on your door if vegetation on your property requires our maintenance. Work is typically performed 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Wood chips produced through our vegetation management are free to interested IREA customers. They typically can be delivered to the address you specify within a week or two. For more info, ask tree-trimming crews you see working in our service territory, or contact our Utility Forester at (720) 733-5632.
Our vegetation management crews also address customer reports of hazardous vegetation throughout the year. Please contact us immediately at (800) 332-9540 if you see a potentially hazardous tree or other vegetation that could threaten our power lines. We will remove potentially hazardous trees at no cost to you.
We also publish guidelines on our website regarding what should and should not be planted in or near our rights-of-way and utility facilities. These guidelines are available at https://www.IREA.coop/irea-your-property.