Trees Near Power Lines
Only a certified line clearance arborists can work near power lines. Neither you, nor anyone you contract should attempt this work. If you want to remove a tree, or any part of it that is closer than 10 feet to a power line, contact We Energies at 800-242-9137, or you may have your contracted tree professional make the call on your behalf. An inspection will then be done by a We Energies forester to determine if it is safe to proceed. If conditions are unsafe, they will assist to make the conditions safe for you (or your tree professional) to complete the work.
For further details and specific information on power lines you
may see on or near your property, please see the We Energies
Power Line Tree Trimming Safety page.
Parkway (City-Owned) Trees
Although you may not own the trees found in the parkway of your home, it is still your duty as a property owner to improve and maintain the lawn park area bordering your property. This includes making sure the trees and plantings are in a healthy condition and are trimmed so as to not constitute a public or private nuisance.
Minimum clearances must be maintained (see your city's guidelines
for specific details). When trimming parkway trees, the homeowner
or contracted tree professional may remove small limbs without a
permit, while larger limbs or removals require a forestry permit
(see links below).
More information is available though these links.
Fully Insured
Primary Forms of Tree Pruning
Crown Cleaning includes the removal of dead, dying, diseased and broken branches. Most arborists have been trained from the first time they picked up a saw to remove these types of branches without hesitation.
Crown Thinning is the selective removal of branches to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown of the tree. Crown thinning opens up the foliage of a tree, reduces weight on heavy limbs and helps retain the tree’s natural shape. In most cases, no more than 20% of the live foliage should be removed when thinning a tree.
Crown Raising consists of pruning or removing lower branches or limbs to provide vertical clearance. Crown raising might be done on the entire bottom of the crown or only one portion of the crown.
Crown Reduction is used to clear tree branches from objects such as buildings, signs or lights. Crown reduction pruning is also utilized to reduce the canopy of the tree in an effort to decrease the height and/or spread of the canopy. Branch tips are cut back to lateral branches that can take over as the terminal point of growth. This is different from tree topping, which is simply cutting back branches at random points or preassigned distances in the tree with little regard to the remaining branch or the presence or location of lateral branches. Link to Why Tree Topping is BAD!