Comments on: County asks PG&E to avoid tree removal

By: Garnet Red

Garnet Red — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:23:14 +0000

I’m just waiting to see if my 65 year old pecan tree will survive the butchering they gave it.. cutting the crown completely out and doing their work at the complete wrong time of year. Do the pg&e people hire the same cutters to do their own trees that they sic on the public?

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By: Kirstin

Kirstin — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:13:47 +0000

@GAJ, over time perhaps PG&E thinks chopping down trees is more cost-effective than having to trim them back more than once. My own observations are that PG&E would rather get a tree out of the way permanently than deal with it. But tough, PG&E. Do the right thing and leave the trees standing.

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By: GAJ

GAJ — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:09:41 +0000

PG&E has proven itself to be very bottom line conscious…perhaps even TOO bottom line conscious!

You do realize it costs more to fell and remove a tree than to trim it, right?

PG&E has no motivation to chop down more trees than absolutely necessary…quite the opposite.

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By: joseph donegan

joseph donegan — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:44:23 +0000

The land the Geysers power plants sits on belongs to the schools. 100% of the money collected goes straight to teachers retirement, not to the schools as it was intended. I say shut the lines down, turn off the money spigot and let the teachers fund their own retirement out of their own pockets instead of the children’s.
The irony is of course if they do not cut the trees down, and a line arcs, the whole forest is lost. Amazing the way our community is connected to those power plants.

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By: Reality Check

Reality Check — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:44:23 +0000

Every time a winter storm knocks out power PG&E gets hammered for failing to cut away branches that threaten power lines. Of course when they cut away those branches the result isn’t pretty.

Yes, they could trim a little every year. But then cost would be expensive. Let me know when TURN supports a rate increase to pay for this approach.

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By: Kirstin

Kirstin — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:34:43 +0000

There is no excuse for PG&E cutting down trees — especially when they are not immediately underneath power lines. TRIM them neatly and only as much as absolutely necessary, but DO NOT fell them. Trees are essential to good air, not to mention that they are a beautiful addition to the landscape here, and public utilities should not be permitted to wantonly cut them down on either public or private property.

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By: Vinyl Rules

Vinyl Rules — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:47:07 +0000

PG&E is lying. The contention that PG&E is “working with property owners and will trim instead of cut down trees where possible” is simply a lie. PG&E’s official policy is to cut trees and ask questions later. They may have an easement on your property, but it stretches the bounds of such authority for them to decrease your property value by removing trees arbitrarily. Maybe when we have hundreds of miles of clear-cut forest people will care…

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By: James Bennett

James Bennett — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:50:23 +0000

They’re butchering trees not even near power lines. Why can’t they keep most all the trees in place and keep them manicured near the lines?

PG&E is worth sooo much money.

If we cut down a sick tree on our own property the fines are unbelievable.

But that’s different…
we’re not a Public-Private Partner.

Bad move.

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By: John Pendergast

John Pendergast — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:18:46 +0000

Dude, I don’t want my power going out every time a stiff breeze blows.

This assumes that county officials know more about power line obstructions than the linemen who do their jobs every day. Oh great Sonoma County leaders! You bless us with your boundless wisdom every day! What would we do without you?

Maybe these county people should shut their mouths and get the roads fixed.

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