THE Marianas Public Lands Authority is looking forward to the passage of a measure that would restrict the planting of trees and other such vegetation below and around power lines and facilities.
In a June 13 letter to Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, R-Saipan, MPLA Commissioner Bertha C. Leon Guerrero said the introduction of H.B. 13-112 “comes at a time when great concern should be directed to plants growing right underneath high tension power lines, posing great hazards to the general public.”
The bill was introduced by Rep. Arnold I. Palacios, R-Saipan.
She said that while MPLA supports efforts to beautify roadways with the planting of flowering plants and trees, “efforts must also be put to keep the trees trimmed so that branches do not come in contact with high power lines.”
“We see these trees as we drive along our roads on Saipan, Tinian and Rota and the dangers of electrocution they pose. Although the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. does its best to keep the trees maintained, the task is too large for it to keep up. And we can imagine the costs for this type of maintenance work CUC has to cover,” said Leon Guerrero.
But she said that while MPLA is responsible for the management and disposition of public lands, “maintenance of wild growing trees is not one of them.”
“If one were to give it some thought, most trees that affect or threaten the power lines actually grow on designated public rights of way. If our rights of way were maintained to the extent that all trees were trimmed and kept clear from the power lines, immediate threat to public safety would not be a concern,” she said.
