Save the trees

County and some local municipality officials plant large-growth trees under power lines. Many homeowners and businesses do the same. When those trees grow into or otherwise interfere with power lines, FPL’s contractors butcher them with no regard for trees’ architecture.

This could be resolved by a countywide ordinance that prohibits planting trees under power lines, fines homeowners and businesses that violate the ordinance and allows the county to remove trees under power lines.

FPL hires and pays contractors, but passes the cost to its ratepayers. A better long-term solution would be to place power lines underground so that we can enjoy shady tree canopies over our sidewalks. However, FPL seems to prefer to continue chopping trees, restringing wires and its customers.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 7:10 PM with the headline "Save the trees."