Hazard trees being removed in city

SANDPOINT — Efforts to clean up hazard trees posing a threat to overhead electrical lines is underway, Avista officials said Tuesday.

The work aims at addressing hazard trees posing a threat of falling or growing into the utility's overhead electrical lines.

Trees identified for removal are those that are dead, in such severe decline that they will die before the next inspection, or are structurally unstable, Avista officials said.

Avista has notified affected customers if risk trees have been identified on their property. No planned outages are expected as a result of the work, and utility officials said traffic control will be in place as temporary lane closures are possible during the work.

Trees in the public right of way identified for removal are reviewed and permitted by the city before work begins, officials said. The work also includes stump grinding and the replacement of the trees.

ISA-certified arborists inspect trees and perform the work for the utility and all pruning conforms to industry standards for utility clearance.

The program reduces the frequency and duration of tree-related power outages and increases the safety and reliability of its system, Avista officials said. The utility maintains over 21,000 miles of electrical lines spanning four northwestern states, as well as nearly 8,000 miles of natural gas mains.

Customers who have questions or concerns can contact Avista at 1-800-227-9187 for assistance. Customers with questions about trees in the right-of-way may also contact Maeve Nevins-Lavtar, Sandpoint Parks Planning & Development manager/urban forester at 208-946-2711 or mnevinslavter@sandpointidaho.gov.