On Wednesday, April 22 at 7:00pm at the Town Hall, a public hearing will be held to consider the removal of three sets of trees in the public right of way.
Eversource Energy wants to cut and/or remove the trees listed here that are dead, in decline, or otherwise posing a hazard to the safe and reliable operation of the electrical system and the roadway. Eversource focuses on pruning within specific clearances (8–10 feet to the side, 10 feet below, and 15 feet above lines), but they will remove entire trees that are deemed to be severe hazards. They are listed on that page by size category (DBH, or diameter at breast height) and hazard rating:
- Level 1 – life-threatening: This signifies an immediate danger where a person cannot be rescued until the power is shut off, or a live power line is directly on a vehicle or structure with someone inside.
- Level 2 – hindering operations: This level indicates a situation where an electrical hazard is present and obstructing emergency services (like fire departments) from doing their work, but it is not directly threatening a life at that moment, such as a burning structure with no one inside.
- Level 3 – electrical hazard (non-threatening): This covers hazards that are not an immediate threat to life or property but are still dangerous, such as downed wires or a transformer fire that has already been secured by police or fire personnel
A second set of trees listed here is being considered for removal by the Town of Lincoln (at Eversource’s expense) because they are dead, in decline, or otherwise posing a hazard to the safe and reliable operation of the roadway.
Eversource also wants to cut and remove undergrowth trees on Lexington Road, Trapelo Road, South Great Road, and Tower Road. With abutter approval, all trees 10” or less in diameter under the wires that are growing up into the wires will be cut to the stump.
For ore information, contact the Lincoln DPW, see this Eversource Tree-Trimming FAQs page, or call 800-592-2000.
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