The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requires Public Service Electric and Gas to conduct line clearance pruning maintenance of all their electric distribution lines on a four year rotation. This includes all trees growing within Municipal right-of-way and private trees which overhang or encroach upon electric wires. Pruning specifically is targeting trees from one utility pole to another utility pole. It does not include clearance of house services.
The entire Town of West Orange is scheduled to be pruned during January, February and March of 2016. Asplundh Tree Company is a private tree contractor which will be performing this work.
Private property owners will be notified by a door hanger placard prior to their tree(s) being pruned. In response to New Jersey’s storms in recent years, the Board of Public Utilities now requires much more stringent pruning practices than in the past.
Questions regarding P.S.E&G’s tree pruning program should be directed to Asplundh Tree Company’s representative, Bill Costello. Bill can be reached at (215) 350-9826.