Forest Health Issues Program (Mountain pine beetle infestation)
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Aerial view of lodgepole pine killed by mountain pine beetle infestation. (Photo courtesy Canadian Forest Service) |
Large numbers of dead and dying mountain pine beetle infested trees are threatening thousands of kilometres of BC Hydro distribution lines throughout the Interior.
The risks
Once a pine beetle infested tree dies, decay agents erode stem and root strength, eventually allowing the tree to fall. Toppling trees can contact power lines, causing outages and reducing electrical service reliability.
Dead and dying trees adjacent to power lines also present an elevated risk of wildfire ignition, as well as other serious public safety issues.
BC Hydro’s plan
To mitigate those risks, BC Hydro has developed the Forest Health Issues Program team. This team works with landowners, government agencies and other stakeholders to plan and implement the safe felling and management of beetle-infested trees.
The focus of the program is to identify, prioritize and safely cut down hazard trees within up to one-and-a-half tree lengths of primary distribution lines on Crown and private lands. BC Hydro will use qualified contractors to assess individual trees and stands of trees to determine a hazard rating relative to the electrical distribution system.
Strategic work plans are developed based on the magnitude of associated risk – generally, a "worst-first" approach.
Landowners whose trees pose a risk will be contacted by a BC Hydro consenting contractor, who will identify trees for felling, discuss operational procedures with the landowner, mark the trees and acquire the consent of the landowner for that work to proceed.
Once BC Hydro has gained consents across an adequate area, tree felling works are compiled and tendered to qualified contractors, including those with access to Certified Utility Arborists.
Safely felling hazardous trees near power lines requires specialized training and BC Hydro strongly urges that landowners do not attempt to carry out this work on their own.
The landowners’ role
There is no cost to landowners for the assessment or felling of at-risk trees. However, subsequent debris management and clean-up is the responsibility of the tree-owner.
Individual service lines – those that run from the BC Hydro system to individual homes – are not covered under this program.
More information on forest fuel management, potential funding and the responsibilities of landowners to reduce the potential for wildfires can be found at http://ground.hpr.for.gov.bc.ca
If you have any questions on the program and BC Hydro's response to mountain pine beetle infested trees, please call 1 877 430-TREE, or contact your local BC Hydro Community Relations office.
