The “pac-man” tree is a somewhat ubiquitous phenomenon along American roadways. Why does the utility cut them like that? Why did they leave my tree one-sided? Is it really acceptable to leave it looking so disfigured? This talk will cover some basics of the electric grid and utility vegetation management as well as industry standards and best practices governing all arboriculture, with some specific examples of how trees are pruned for power lines and why they’re left looking so strange. A main goal of this presentation is to bridge the gap between utility arboriculture and more traditional private, municipal, and commercial arboriculture, with the hope that attendees leave prepared to continue the conversation with their local customers and utility representatives.

About Kieran Hunt
Municipal Manager

Kieran is the Manager of Municipal Services with Asplundh Technical Services. He is responsible for working with Asplundh’s field operations to improve and expand municipal and roadside vegetation management programs. Asplundh Municipal Services brings industry best practices and vegetation management expertise to government organizations that contract for these services. Kieran’s background is in municipal tree management and inventory as well as utility vegetation management and work planning. He is an ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist and New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert and has a B.S. in ecology, evolution, and natural resources from Rutgers University. He is an Executive Board member for the NJ Forestry Association and a member of the UAA Environmental Stewardship Committee.