Caring for trees and your service

Transcription

1 Caring for rees and your service

2 Line clearing helps preven ouages FPL is commied o delivering safe, reliable elecric service o our cusomers. Trees, especially palm rees, can inerfere wih power lines and are one of he mos common causes of power ouages and flickers. FPL s prevenive mainenance program clears ree limbs and branches ha can poenially cause safey issues and power ouages. FPL uses direcional pruning o proec he healh of your rees while helping hem grow away from power lines. Direcional pruning is a professional echnique of pruning rees away from power lines by removing enire branches and limbs down o he main runk of he ree where rees normally shed hem. This mehod direcs fuure ree growh away from he power lines and reduces re-growh. Direcional pruning is an indusry bes pracice wih guidelines suppored by he Inernaional Sociey of Arboriculure, American Naional Sandard Insiue and universiy research. Side-rim direcional pruning V-rim direcional pruning Proper pruning for ree healh No No Topping rees or leaving branch subs severely damages rees and encourages rapid regrowh. Yes Pruning cus should be made jus ouside he branch collar o respec naural growh paerns and direc fuure growh away from power lines.

3 Plan he righ ree in he righ place By selecing he righ ree and planing i in he righ place, you can help reduce power ouages and flickers for you and your neighbors. Trees come in all shapes and sizes, and ofen change dramaically over heir lifeimes. Before selecing a ree, make sure you know how all, wide and deep i will be a mauriy. For a lis of recommended rees for your area, please visi Where you plan your ree is jus as imporan as wha ype of ree you plan. Blocking an unsighly view or creaing some shade may be a prioriy, bu you mus also hink abou your ree s impac on exising uiliy lines as i grows aller and wider. A mauriy, will is canopy reach he overhead lines? Keep in mind ha he larger he power pole or srucure, he farher back you should plan your ree. Planing rees ha will inerfere wih power lines violaes Florida law and can jeopardize he reliabiliy of your elecric service. Taking he ime o consider locaion now can preven avoidable power disurbances for years o come. I s never oo lae! To correc landscaping misseps of he pas, ry relocaing or removing small rees o preven fuure service issues. No amoun of rimming can subsiue for smar landscaping and responsible mainenance by propery owners.

4 Trees in your neighborhood When landcaping your home or business, remember o:» Plan only small rees and shrubs in areas adjacen o power lines.» Keep medium and large rees, including palms, a a safe disance from power lines.» Keep ransformers clear of vegeaion a all imes. Room o grow For he healh of your rees and he reliabiliy of your elecric service, give your rees ample room o grow wihou inerfering wih power lines or equipmen. FPL recommends he following se-back disances based on your ree s maure heigh. Medium Trees 20 minimum se-back Large Palms Se-back mus be maximum palm frond lengh plus 3 fee Uiliy Pruning Zone Noe: These se-back guidelines may no be suiable around ransmission lines and equipmen. Trees are shown a maure heigh. Large Trees 30 minimum se-back Small rees less han 20 fee all and shrubs may be planed adjacen o neighborhood power lines.

5 Smar landscaping sars wih a plan 1 2 FPL is working hard o deliver worry-free energy, now and in he fuure, and we need your help. Use his landscape planning guide o help ensure reliable elecric service for you and your neighbors. 3 he locaion of 1 Noe power lines Power lines are usually locaed a he op of he uiliy pole, farhes from he ground. Cable elevision and elephone lines run closer o he ground, below power lines. When planing your rees, be sure o give hem ample room o grow wihou inerfering wih power lines. FPL POWER LINES 4 Communicaion lines (cable, phone, ec.) Service drop (pole o house) he righ ree, 2 Find choose he righ spo Maure 4 Keep ransformers clear When planing, wha you can see can hur you, so before you reach for a shovel, reach for he phone. One easy call o 811 sars he process of geing underground uiliy lines marked. Make ha call a leas wo full business days before you sar digging; i s fas, free and required by law. Before selecing a ree, consider how all, wide and deep i will be a mauriy. Then carefully consider he locaion and appropriae se-back disances o preven avoidable power disurbances for years o come. Young 3 Shading Landscaping o shade your home from he sun is a low-cos, effecive way o reduce your cooling coss. Sapling Say safe Keep he ransformer cabine clear a all imes o allow for mainenance and repairs. Mainain a clear zone of 8 fee in he fron and 3 fee in he back and on boh sides. When doing yard work, always look up and noe he locaion of power lines. Never aemp o rim any vegeaion growing near power lines. When hiring landscapers or yard workers o rim your rees, remember o ask if hey are licensed, insured and qualified o rim vegeaion around power lines.

6 FPL focuses on prevenive mainenance Our sraegy o clear vegeaion from power lines is based on consisen, planned rimming cycles. Each year, FPL rims rees along housands of miles of power lines hroughou he sae. FPL will noify you before line clearing begins in your neighborhood. FPL s prevenive mainenance plan calls for clearing main power lines every hree years and neighborhood lines every six years, on average. To help ensure reliable elecric service now and in he fuure, FPL may need o remove selec rees, especially palm rees, bamboo and oher fas-growing vegeaion ha canno be managed effecively by pruning or rimming.

7 Your safey is imporan If you decide o work ouside, look up and noe he locaion of power lines before you begin. Careful avoidance of power lines is exremely imporan during yard work, especially when using ools, ladders, poles or pruning saws. Be sure ha ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so ha you and he ends of he ools you re using don come wihin 10 fee of power lines. Never aemp o rim any vegeaion growing near power lines. Only specially rained line-clearing professionals should work around power lines. Call before you dig. Florida law requires ha you call Sunshine Sae One Call a 811 o locae and mark buried power lines and oher uiliies before you dig. Call 811 a leas wo business days before you begin work o avoid uninenionally hiing underground uiliy lines. This free service helps keep everyone safe Florida Power & Ligh Company has been named a Tree Line USA uiliy by The Naional Arbor Day Foundaion.