Vegetation Maintenance Plans

A massive blackout swept through the northeast United States and parts of Canada in August 2003. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) found that one of the main causes was the interaction of a tree and a power line in Ohio, which could have been prevented with proper vegetation maintenance. The DOE concluded that better, more consistent vegetation maintenance practices were necessary to prevent similar events in the future.

At MEC, we take these practices very seriously. Our chief responsibility as an electric cooperative is to provide reliable and safe power, and trees present a major hazard to our electric lines. As a result, we proactively remove trees and brush within 15 feet on each side of our power lines. This has been proven to significantly reduce the amount of time our customers spend without power, and it helps our linemen more efficiently identify and repair damage when needed.

We understand the value of trees, but unfortunately power lines and trees do not mix. If the trees on your property end up tangled in our power lines, it could result in an outage for many customers. Therefore, we remove the hazard wherever possible.

You can learn more about the importance of tree trimming and vegetation management from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 

Planning to Plant Some Trees?

Make sure you plant them in the right place. This guide will show you where you should plant. 

2024 Vegetation Management Plans

Here are the townships where we plan to clear our rights-of-way in 2025:

Southwest Michigan: Calvin, Constantine, Fabius, Florence, Hamilton, Howard, Jefferson, Keeler, LaGrange, Lockport, Mason, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pipestone, Pokagon, Porter (Cass County), Silver Creek, Volinia, Wayne

Southeast Michigan: Adrian, Blissfield, Clinton (Lenawee County), Franklin (Lenawee County), Raisin, Tecumseh

We also employ a long-term spraying strategy to manage continued regrowth. It effectively controls tall-growing trees and bushes while promoting low-growing plants that are beneficial to wildlife. We will spray in the following townships:

Southwest Michigan: Almena, Antwerp, Brady, Calvin, Constantine, Decatur, Fabius, Flowerfield, Hamilton, Keeler, LaGrange, Leonidas, Lockport, Marcellus, Mendon, Newberg, Oshtemo, Park (St. Joseph County), Paw Paw, Penn, Pipestone, Porter (Cass County), Porter (Van Buren County), Prairie Ronde, Schoolcraft, Silver Creek, Texas, Volinia, Wakeshma, Wayne

Indiana: Portage

Southeast Michigan: Dover, Fairfield, Gorham, Hudson, Madison, Medina, Palmyra, Rollin, Rome, Seneca

Ohio: Clinton (Fulton County), Franklin (Fulton County), Gorham, Mill Creek

We Will Notify You of Work Scheduled

We mail notices to affected customers a few weeks prior to starting tree work or spray.  We also place automated phone calls and as the tree crew surveys a specific area, we will attempt to leave a door tag.

If you have any questions, please call 800.492.5989, Mon. through Fri. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.