Vegetation management in Buena Vista

During a windy day November 7, 2023, this tree fell into a power line in Buena Vista, causing an outage.

At Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA), public safety and community well-being are our top priorities. Our vegetation management program clears trees and other vegetation around electric lines to prevent accidents. 

Accidents involving electric lines can have devastating consequences. This could include a child innocently playing in a tree and touching an energized line. Or a homeowner electrocuted after they walk near a downed line that is energized to investigate the damage. Either incident could be fatal. It also aims to prevent an electric line sparking a wildfire. 

Most power outages happen when trees contact our electric lines. While an outage can be an inconvenience to some people, it can have severe consequences for individuals relying on life-saving medical equipment, for example. An outage can also adversely affect local businesses who cannot process credit cards, light their displays, or cook food for patrons in their restaurant. 

Vegetation management is not a program designed to cut trees indiscriminately. It is a necessary measure within our easements and rights-of-way to maintain the electric system. This is also practiced throughout the country by electric utilities to ensure public safety, provide power reliably, and prevent fire.   

Since 2021, SDCEA’s program to clear electric lines has accelerated, as vegetation growth throughout our five-county service territory exceeded the rate the cooperative could remove these hazards under previous efforts. Our crews have been working in rural areas in our service territory to catch up on vegetation removal. We completed a vegetation management program last year in St. Elmo, for example. 

In Buena Vista, there are trees and vegetation near power lines that also pose a risk to public safety. SDCEA is ethically and legally obliged to mitigate these hazards and to ensure safe, reliable power. Vegetation mitigation will not be conducted on all lines or trees in town. It will focus on vegetation near our primary lines that presents the highest risk of damage and impact to our members and community.

Planned tree trimming or cutting in Buena Vista would not begin until after a comprehensive inventory process, likely to begin in November. Results of the inventory will be presented to the Buena Vista town council sometime in 2024. Until that inventory is taken, SDCEA will not know specifically where or how many trees or other vegetation will need to be cut or trimmed.

In October, the town board passed an ordinance that requires SDCEA to obtain a permit or permits prior to vegetation removal on town property, but without provisions on how to do so. The program’s approval process by the town board of trustees following the presentation is not yet defined, so SDCEA cannot estimate as to when that will take place.

Before any mitigation work begins, our mitigation crew will make diligent efforts to reach out to individual adjacent property owners, following the established practice in other areas within our service territory. This contact happens through various channels, such as door-to-door visits, phone calls, and the placement of informative door hang tags. We highly recommend that all residents verify and update their contact information to stay informed about this and other cooperative-related matters. 

SDCEA is a local business located in Buena Vista. As locals, we are committed to taking care of everyone who lives or visits here, as well as preserving the things we all love about this community, including the natural environment. We are happy to discuss any questions you may have about our mitigation program. Please contact SDCEA directly if you would like more information, 719-395-2412. 

– Gary Kelly

SDCEA Interim CEO