TREES: THE GOOD, THE BAD,
THE MISUNDERSTOOD

It’s hard to imagine life without trees. Literally. Without an abundance of trees, there would be less oxygen, more carbon dioxide—not to mention fewer species in the animal kingdom that depend on trees for existence.

In this electrified world of ours, however, trees need to be managed. Plant them in the wrong place or neglect them as their limbs grow and become entangled with power lines, and sooner or later you’ve got big problems. In fact, a contributing factor to the massive 2003 blackout was trees that hadn’t been properly trimmed to remain clear of power lines.

The BWL has a two-fold tree-nurturing program. One part focuses on sustained tree trimming throughout mid-Michigan, so that electric reliability won’t be threatened when trees touch power lines. We are committed to spending more than $1 million a year on this program.

The second part of our Tree Power Program promotes tree stewardship. Our goal is to plant thousands of trees throughout the community each year (see below).

Following are some commonly asked questions about tree trimming and tree planting:

Question: Will I be notified if the BWL plans to trim trees on my property?

In most cases, yes. Tree trimming is directed by our certified arborist, and property owners are notified about the scope of the work being planned. However, a tree will occasionally cause a power outage or pose a safety hazard. At times like these, BWL crews may act without prior notification.

Question: Are power outages the only reason for trimming trees?

No. We also trim trees when children and animals may be tempted to climb them. Keeping tree limbs a safe distance from power lines is another safety measure. Trees and underbrush close to power lines also impede our access to the lines, posing yet another safety hazard that requires trimming.

Question: I’m interested in planting a tree on my property. What should I do?

First, carefully select a location to plant the tree—but never under power lines.

Second, before you dig, call Miss Dig at 1-800-482-7171 to make sure there are no underground hazards.

Choosing the right tree: Ask your local nursery or garden center for assistance. Generally, deciduous (leaf shedding) trees should be planted on the south and west sides of your home. Evergreen trees should be planted on the north and west sides.

In addition to their beauty and ability to add to property values, trees help cool homes in the summer and provide heat-saving windbreaks in the winter.

For more information about tree planting, click here.

I noticed during the recent heat wave, with heat indexes well above 100 degrees, the BWL was still pumping hot steam under the streets downtown. Do people use steam for heating during a hot spell? Signed, Graham (a curious customer)

As strange as it seems, the BWL needs steam to cool off some of its customers. Our Chilled Water Plant, located in the decommissioned Ottawa Power Station, operates on steam. The plant provides air conditioning to downtown customers.   Kellee Christensen, BWL Manager for System Integrity and Customer Projects, says a few of our customers do use steam to provide hot water and to humidify their buildings.

Do you have a question about some aspect of Lansing Board of Water & Light operations? Include your name, city of residence and phone number, and send it to Q CORNER:
 

  E-MAIL: mailto:mdn@lbwl.com

    FAX:  (517) 702-6855

   MAIL:  Lansing Board of Water & Light

          Communications Department

          1232 Haco Dr., P.O. Box 13007

          Lansing MI 48901.

We've got

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to say

The BWL’s new Speakers Bureau is coming to a neighborhood group near you … we hope!

If your neighborhood organization or civic group wants someone from BWL to talk about our work, give us a shout. We have experts on hand to talk about energy conservation, the BWL as a public utility, tree trimming or keeping drinking water lead-free, among other things.

After a presentation, our BWL speakers will be happy to answer questions about this hometown utility’s services and policies. Each presentation lasts 15 to 20 minutes.

To book a presentation for your organization, please call us during regular business hours at 702-6679, or click here.

STEP RIGHT UP, GET YOUR TREES!
ADOPT A RIVER, sEPTEMBER 16

Besides being a fun family outing, the Saturday, September 16 Adopt A River Day offers a special incentive.

Print off and bring the coupon below to get $5 off the price of an $8 conifer. The coupon is good toward the purchase of just one tree, but you may buy others at the regular price.

We’ll have 200 trees for sale, all 2 feet or taller: blue spruce, white spruce, Norway spruce and Fraser fir.

Experts say autumn is the best time to plant these evergreens.

You don’t have to take part in the Adopt A River cleanup to buy a tree, but please consider it. Join the hundreds of volunteers who have made Adopt A River an award-winning community effort!

Please contact Erik Larson,
Executive Director of Impression 5
and Adopt A River Coordinator, at
485-8116, ext 43.
Click here for more information.