After several complaints from city residents, NYSEG has temporarily suspended tree-trimming on Binghamton’s west side. In the Riverside Drive area, some large trees were nearly sheared in half to avoid the power lines, and the wood was stacked near the road, awaiting pickup from the Department of Public Works. While several residents are not pleased with the less-attractive trees lining their streets, NYSEG has insisted that trees are pruned using methods established by the American National Standards Institute and the Tree Care Industry Association. The goal is to remove limbs the trees would naturally shed, and manipulate future growth to move away from power lines. Mayor Matthew Ryan is working with NYSEG and the Shade Tree Commission during the suspension of trimming to determine how to move forward with the remaining work.
