Integrating Tree Growth Regulators into an Right of Way Maintenance Program
Plant Growth Management Systems (PGMS) has helped Municipalities & Electric Utilities for over two decades with integrating TGRs into ROW Maintenance Programs. They’ve seen cost savings and customer satisfaction increase while integrating ShortStop TGR into their ROW Program. It has increased the time between tree-trimming & reduced their trim cycle lengths.
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THE INTEGRATION PROCESS BRIEFLY DESCRIBED:
- Identify the high need areas within the entire electric line system and specifically single out the trees in these areas that cannot be removed.
- The areas with “targeted” trees are prioritized according to their location to substations, lines types, cycle busters, difficult property owners, location difficulty and remoteness.
- The program works within the existing budget and approximately 5% should be dedicated to the TGR integration. Initial savings are realized in the second year and the greatest savings occur at the time of retreating without trimming.
- Application timing and record keeping are critical for successful integration.
What other utilities have to say about TGR Integration;
Zeeland BPW has been using TGRs for over six years and Don Muller was quoted in the Indiana Public Works News saying, “This process has helped us do more with less money.” The process has helped reduce their tree-trimming budget by one third and has created good public relations.
Chuck Benson, a utility arborist representing Kosciusko REMC said, “Most of the trees we have treated are fast growing. The ShortStop TGR treatments have allowed us to maintain our trimming cycle more easily. We have sugar maples that we treated over three years ago that are still in good shape and will be skipped this upcoming trim cycle.”