Next meeting: 
for property owners
and citizens concerned
about PG&E tree removal:  
ever other Thursday,
meetings April 18 and May 2nd
7:00 to 9:00 PM   

55A Ridgway, Santa Rosa
(off Cleveland)  
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County Tells PG&E to Trim NOT Clearcut!
Press Democrat Feb 6


KSRO, Radio Coverage, SOS-Trees Critical of PG&E Tree Removal, Emery Dann Explains, Download audio file after clicking on link
    

Needless Clearcutting continues by the PG&E "that has lost its way" .

Statement on clearcutting from Bob Bell, PGE Manager Responsible for clearing

"Based upon PG&E's experience with this type of work as well as a publication search which we conducted in response to your inquiry, there is zero evidence to support the concerns you raise about soil ans slope stability."  

Another indication of how PGE has LOST and CONTINUES to LOSE THEIR WAY!

Imagine a 39 mile clearcut through Sonoma County. Once the trees are gone, they're gone.
PG&E is cutting now.
You can protect  your trees.
The time to act is today.
Get involved:
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Our mission is to persuade PG&E to continue their successful 50-year practice of tree-trimming, rather than clear-cutting, to ensure safe conditions for electrical lines.

From a recent statement by FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff:
     "As a final point, we continue to receive complaints that utilities are clear-cutting right-of-ways in order to comply with reliability standard FAC-003. In some cases, reliability standard FAC-003 has been cited as the reason for clear-cutting even when it does not apply, e.g. transmission lines below 200 kV and distribution lines. The standard only requires that a minimum clearance be maintained and does not prescribe the methodology that utilities are required to use. Companies should not misrepresent the reason for the vegetation action by overstating the requirements or applicability of the standard."

See the entire statement on the FERC site:
http://www.ferc.gov/media/statements-speeches/wellinghoff/2012/06-21-12-wellinghoff-A-3.asp

PG&E plans to clearcut under high-tension lines in Sonoma County; SOS-Trees Responds

There has been a major change in how PG&E is planning to manage the vegetation under the high voltage power lines which span 37 miles in Sonoma County. These lines run from Lakeville Road in the South to the Geysers, where power is generated using geothermal resources. 
 
When vegetation grows too close to these power lines there are significant health and safety issues. For many years PG&E's policy has been to trim the tops from trees and other vegetation that came within a specified distance of the power lines. They now plan to clear all vegetation under the power lines. This will kill thousands of trees and create a terrible scar many miles long upon the land.
 
PG&E is responsible for maintaining electricity service in a way that is safe and protects the public from power line failures and mishaps. We recognize and support this duty. However, the new clear cut policy is deeply flawed. It is needlessly aggressive and has a number of unintended consequences, including:

  • Loss of thousands of trees, many of which will never impact the power lines.
  • Loss of habitat, which may include significant impacts on endangered or protected species.
  • Erosion from impacts of clear cutting directly over streams and headwater areas (see video on this page).
  • Fire danger from tree refuse left behind (they do not clean up the felled trees and vegetation).
  • Damage to water habitats impacting fish and other wildlife, through silting and stream degradation.
  • Severe impact on the viewshed and scenic qualities of miles of Sonoma County.
  • Devaluation of home and property values. 
 
This new policy has the potential to impact both public and private lands. It is in direct opposition to existing policies for protection of open space and scenic corridors. It appears to have been adopted with no regard for environmental impact studies and Sonoma County vegetation regulations.

Our goal is simple, reasonable, and reflects the values of the people of Sonoma County
We are committed to ensuring that PG&E immediately cease all indiscriminate clear cutting along the power line easement, and return to a regularly scheduled, ongoing maintenance program of selective pruning and topping of only those trees and plants that pose a hazard; and that they do so with adequate, transparent, and accurate notification of landowners.

Congressman Forces PG&E's Hand.

Meeting with US Rep., Mike Thompson, SOS-Trees, and PG&E results in PG&E agreeing to work with SOS-Trees to draft and distribute a set of Guidelines regarding Tree Trimming rather than clear-cutting under transmission lines!  Thompson also sets expectations for this information and policy to become the State-wide norm, for all PG&E lines.  

Read the entire article here...  
Update May 15 2012: According to the Kenwood Press: "The gloves have come off. After months of meetings and vague promises to “discuss” tree removal, PG&E told Oakmont and Bennett Valley residents on May 7 that it intends to clear cut the entire 39-mile-long, high voltage line that stretches from Petaluma to the Geysers." 

Read the entire article here...