Dear Editor:
PSE&G encourages residents to plant trees. We appreciated the opportunity to address issues of public safety, electric service and reliability and environmental issues as they relate to trees in a competitive streetscape before the Jersey City Municipal Council.
Trees and utilities are two important resources for urban areas.
PSE&G offers tree planting and maintenance workshops so more people understand proper tree planting and the potential impact on overhead (electrical, telephone, cable television) and underground (gas, water, sewer) utilities.
If you are interested in a speaker, please call (201) 330-6629, or email richard.dwyer@pseg.com.
The first step in selecting the right trees for the right locations is to consider natural and manmade environmental factors before planting.
Trees that meet the overall aesthetic and utility needs of customers include: amur maple, paperbark maple, Amercian hornbeam, kousa dogwood,crabapple varieties, hawthorne varieties (tree form), serviceberry hybrids (tree form), Japanese tree lilac, redbud varieties, dwarf spruce, viburnum varieties, some sweeping varieties of conifers and deciduous plants and Kwanzan Cherry.
These species grow more compatibly alongside utilities and require less extensive trimming.
Residents should be advised that if they suspect any part of a tree is in contact with power lines, they should exercise extreme caution and call PSE&G at 1-800-436-7734.
Also, before planting trees, residents should Call Before You Dig, 1-800-272-1000, for a free mark-out to avoid contact with underground utilities.
PSE&G