The Forestry Program can help AMP-Ohio member communities reduce electrical outages and increase reliability by removing tree limbs or entire trees that have the potential of contacting energized lines.

Objectives of the program include:

• Increasing reliability of service to customers of the member community
• Enhancing public and municipal employee safety
• Enhancing the environment and beautifying the member community

• Works with the community’s electric department to determine the areas most in need of trimming
• Develops a maintenance cycle to clear electric lines of tree interference
• Employs certified line-clearance tree trimmers and certified arborists to trim trees using methods supported by the Ohio Forestry Department
• Provides assistance, as requested by the member community, during storm situations.

Tree Planting/Replacement– AMP-Ohio can also help with future tree planting. Today’s sapling could be tomorrow’s problem, causing an outage or accident. AMP-Ohio can provide information to aid in selecting the right tree for each location.

Weed Control – Helps member communities control weeds in substations and transmission lines. AMP-Ohio uses a herbicide that provides a thorough kill of undesirable vegetation without lingering in the soil for long periods of time. Forestry service personnel have commercial spray licenses and are certified to work in substations.

Tree POWER – AMP-Ohio can help member communities participate in the American Public Power Association’s Tree Power program, a nationwide effort that helps communities plant the correct trees for specific sites, and helps educate customers about the importance of tree trimming..

For more information on the Forestry Program, please call either Shawn Greer, manager of forestry services, at 419/579-4283, or Jennifer Flockerzie, GIS/Forestry coordinator, at 614/337-6222, or send an e-mail to either sgreer@amp-ohio.org or jflockerzie@amp-ohio.org.