Utility ArboristUtility Arborist JAN/FEB 2015 Newsline VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 INSIDE ... growing trees, which ultimately is the goal of effective IVM.” ... crew routing for customer demand

An estimated $15 billion worth of crops inthe U.S. are pollinated annually by honeybees alone, including more than 130fruits and vegetables, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture.

Unfortunately, bee colonies continue todwindle. Butterflies, another commonpollinator, also struggle astheir traditional migratoryroutes become real estatedevelopments. Bats, too, aredying off and further lower-ing the pollinator count.

One out of every three bitesof food we take comes fromfruits and vegetables thatrely on the work of pollina-tors to make it to our plate,according to researchpublished by Royal SocietyPublishing.

Why does this matter to util-ity companies? Members of the UAArecently spent the day exploring theconnection between pollinators and im-proved vegetation management at thePollinators and ROW Summit, hosted atthe Ohio State University AgriculturalResearch and Development Center inWooster, Ohio.

Utility vegetation managers are startingto examine the benefits of creating con-ditions favorable to pollinator-friendlyvegetation within ROWs because such

plant life can better protect transmissionequipment than some traditional ROWmanagement methods. For utilities, suchvegetation can also be a means to im-prove the health of pollinators, therebypositively engaging nearby agriculturalcommunities while establishing a healthyROW ecosystem.

Ward Peterson, manager ofurban resources for DaveyResource Group, a division ofThe Davey Tree Expert Com-pany, and one of the organiz-ers of the pollinator summitsaid developing a healthypollinator habitat does morethan give bees, bats, birds,and other pollinators asource of food and habitat.

It improves integrated vege-tation management.

“IVM is normally used toselect against tall-growing trees andshrubs,” Peterson said. “And that tradi-tionally means using a suite of tools,whether mechanical or chemical, to clearcut woody vegetation in the ROW.

“Now we want to use IVM to improvepollinator habitat by selecting for plantsthat provide habitat and forage forthem,” he said. “A healthy ecosystemcomprised of the kind of low-growingplants that support pollinators will keepout invasive species and tall-growing

Utility Arborist NewslineJAN/FEB 2015

VOLUME 6

NUMBER 1

INSIDEPollinator-Friendly ROWs ......1UAA Officer List ........................4President’s Message ..............4Utility Arborist Profile ..............7Industry News ..........................8Safety Tailgate ........................10Editorial Committee Update 12Regional Reports ....................36

FOCUS ON ELECTRONIC TOOLS

Social Media and WebResources:........................15

Exacter Technology PinpointsFailing Equipment............17

Technology Adoption By UVMOperations ........................18

Digital Solution Helps SpeedRemovals At Unitil ..........20

Ancient Rituals and ModernTechnology ......................22

Complex Adaptive Systemsand UVM ..........................24

Going Digital: SoftwarePlus ContractorPartnerships ....................26

TRUCK-AS-A-HUB orOvercoming BadConnectivity ....................29

Vegetation Management 2.0:Technology Now and inthe Future..........................32

MAST PHOTO©ISTOCK.COM/BORCHEE

Pollinator-Friendly ROWs Benefit Utilities,Communities By Matt Fredmonsky, Photos courtesy of PG&E

“A healthyecosystem

comprised of thekind of low-growingplants that support

pollinators willkeep out invasivespecies and tall-growing trees,

which ultimately isthe goal of

effective IVM.”

T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E U T I L I T Y A R B O R I S T A S S O C I AT I O N

Utility Arborist NewslinePage 2

trees, which ultimately is the goal of effective IVM.”

The pollinator summit examined these concepts by bring-ing together managers of various ROWs, such as trans-portation, electric transmission and undergroundpipelines, with pollinator experts and advocates. Partici-pants at the UAA pollinator summit in October 2014 in-cluded Davey, FirstEnergy, the Ohio Department ofTransportation, NiSource, the Pollinator Stewardship Coun-cil, and biologists from the Ohio State School of NaturalResources.

Patrick Failor, a transmission forester at FirstEnergy, be-lieves there’s value in determining how pollinator-friendlyvegetation potentially supports IVM by protecting poles,conductors, lines, and other electric transmission assets aswell or better than traditional methods.

“Pollinator research is a litmus test for the strength ofvegetation and flowering plants, and when you have astrong pollinator population you have a strong vegetationpopulation that supports those pollinators,” Failor said.“And we believe that our herbicide program promotesthat. We’re looking for the science-backed proof to showthat we are a positive influence on pollinators through thepromotion of proper vegetation on the right-of-way.”

FirstEnergy and Davey are working with the Ohio Stateagricultural campus to study the idea further and developthat kind of data-based research. The university is consid-ering using its campus as an outdoor laboratory for study-ing ROW vegetation. ROWs for a major highway, ahigh-voltage transmission line and a pipeline all cutthrough the campus providing research opportunities tofaculty, students, and vegetation managers.

If the Ohio State research moves forward, there are stillchallenges to perpetuating the idea among vegetationmanagers that ROWs could benefit from pollinator-friendlyvegetation, Peterson said.

“It’s a relatively new consideration to use a ROW with theintent of establishing pollinator habitat and forage,” Pe-terson said.

The idea is partly being driven by the White House, whichin June 2014 issued a presidential memorandum creating afederal strategy for promoting the health of pollinators.The memorandum creates a task force whose membersrepresent the heads of multiple major federal agencies,including the departments of transportation and energy.

The White House task force, among its many duties, ischarged with considering ROWs and how they might beused to enhance pollinator habitat.

Some utilities have already adopted practices aimed atbenefitting pollinators. In the West, Pacific Gas & ElectricCompany works with Pollinator Partnership, a non-profitthat supports efforts to improve the health of pollinators,to set goals and identify actions utilities can take to pro-vide benefits to pollinators in the ROW. PG&E also is work-ing to improve habitat on utility owned lands for theendangered Lange’s metalmark butterfly and for the Baycheckerspot butterfly in addition to other protection andeducation efforts.

Both Failor and Peterson agree the potential benefits,such as more effective IVM, improved community relationsand a healthier pollinator population far outweigh theimplementation challenges.

“There’s building recognition of our dependence ecologi-cally and socially on the honey bee and other pollinators,”Peterson said. “Utilities and vegetation managers arestarting to say they don’t want a scorched-earth policy forIVM. They want to improve the environment in ROWs whileprotecting their assets.”

The UAA Research Committee Pollinators Task Force isspearheading initial research efforts. Utilities that havedeveloped demonstration plots, researched or haveworked with pollinators in some way on their ROWs cansend information to Ward Peterson via email at [email protected].

January–February 2015 Page 3

Pollinator-Friendly ROWs (Continued)

A Pacific Gas & Electric Company ROW in winter beforepollinator-friendly plants bloom. Photo courtesy PG&E.

The same Pacific Gas & Electric Company ROW in spring afterpollinator-friendly plants have bloomed. These plantings positivelybenefit pollinator populations, local agriculture and communityrelations. Courtesy PG&E.

Page 4 Utility Arborist Newsline

As I write the letter for this edition of the Newsline, I amsitting on an airplane at 35,000 feet, overlooking theMississippi River, connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi.Where this used to be one of the last remaining locationswhere you could rest, read, or work in peace (and not becontacted), I am now in touch with our office and fieldoperations; friends and family; and the news of the day.

The UAA represents those whose profession has been inlarge part about placing an individual and a piece ofequipment in close proximity to a tree—be it the utility,contractor, or vendor. While the core activity of pruning orremoving vegetation has remained largely the same, wehave witnessed technology and its impact evolve signifi-cantly in our industry—regardless of where you sit or whenyou began working in this indusry. I would suspect thatmost members reading this have a story about the firsttime they encountered a particular type of technology. Forme, it was the pager that constantly buzzed—although, Imust admit I did not need to pack up the job site and lookfor a payphone…

Since then...• Pagers have been supplanted by cellphones, which gaveway to smartphones.

• Instant messaging or texting is augmenting e-mail.• Crews utilize mobile devices to complete timesheets,capture notification, and planning data in the field, ordocument unusual conditions with a camera.

• Time sheets are completed in the field so there is nolonger a need to fax or FedEx paper copies.

President’s MessageBy David Fleischner

Executive Director - Philip Charlton1620 New Port Vista Dr., Grafton, WI 53024(513) [email protected]

President - David FleischnerTrees, Inc.650 N Sam Houston Pkwy East, Houston, TX 77060(713) 213-2329 • [email protected]

Past President - Peggy JelenArizona Public ServiceP.O. Box 53933, Phoenix, AZ 85072(602) 371-5250 • [email protected]

President Elect - Joe OsborneOklahoma Electric CooperativePO Box 1208, Norman, OK 73070(405) 321-2024 • [email protected]

Vice President - Craig KellyPacific Gas & Electric9211 Stillwater Rd., Redding, CA 92002(530) 246-6573 • [email protected]

Treasurer - Jim NeeserDavey Resource GroupPO Box 394, Forest Lake, MN 55025(651) 202-1088 • [email protected]

Manager - Jessica CarrollISA, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129(217) 355-9411 ext. 221 [email protected]

Education Coordinator - Coni ArseneauISA, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129217-355-9411, ext. [email protected]

Director - Paul HuryszDuke Energy526 S Church St., Charlotte, NC 28202(703) [email protected]

Director - Timothy BodkinNational Grid723 Pierce Rd., Clifton Park, NY 12065(518) 433-5917 [email protected]

Director - David PalenEnvironmental Consultants, Inc.520 Business Park Circle, Stoughton, WI 53589(608) [email protected]

Utility Arborist Newsline Editorial Committee Chairperson -Nelsen [email protected]

Publications Coordinator - Nadia Geagea Pupa(309) 231-8607 • [email protected]

Utility ArboristAssociation 2014 - 2015 Officers

(Continued on page 6.)


• Web browsing has given way to apps for tree speciesidentification and safety performance tracking andproduction reporting.

• LiDar is being utilized to assist in complying with FAC-003-3 standards and improve utilities’ ability to deter-mine potential fire hazards from fuel loading.

• Automated vehicle locating is considered standard andcrew routing for customer demand work is increasinglybeing implemented.

• GIS maps, provided by utilities, streamline the biddingprocess and allow for more efficient auditing.

• Safety training, often conducted in person, is movingtowards YouTube for availability on demand.

• Project planning is moving towards real-time collabora-tive platforms, accessible by multiple parties.

• Several years ago, in order to foster greater collabora-tion and interaction among our worldwide members, aUAA LinkedIn page was established; it now has morethan 500 members. Yet, this represents only one possi-ble channel existing in the social media space.

• Coming on the horizon is the possibility of wearabletechnology—who knows what type of applications thismay have to our industry.

There is an adoption spectrum along which we operate inthe technology space—some are just beginning theprocess, while others are fully deployed with the latestand greatest hardware and software. There is no one rightsolution or product, rather a recognition that as with any-thing, change is always on the horizon and there are asmany solutions available as there are problems to solve orprocesses to improve.

Yet, with technology come perils, especially in the arenaof distracted driving. There is no doubt that this is one ofthe greatest challenges faced—and while many say theyare concerned about being in an accident involving a dis-tracted driver, a majority say they can safely handle bothtasks. Reflect on that thought for a moment and ask your-self, “Does this make sense?”

Even with the significant changes we have seen, and willcontinue to experience, there still remains one constant:Through warm and cold, summer and winter, calm andstorm, it is still countless professionals who go to workeach day, strive to work safely, and make a difference.

Thank you for your continued support of our organizationin 2014 and I look forward to continuing to see how wecan serve you in this new year.

President’s Message (Continued)

Kevin McLoughlinUtility Arborist Profile

Degree(s), year and college• 1971: Bachelor of Science,Natural Resources Manage-ment, State University of NewYork College of EnvironmentalScience and Forester/SyracuseUniversity

• 1975: Master of Science, Envi-ronmental Management, StateUniversity of New York Collegeof Environmental Science andForester/Syracuse University

Special interests or hobbiesHiking, backpacking, kayaking,canoeing, hunting, botanizing,bird watching, mountain biking,skiing, snow shoeing, campingduring all seasons, and travelingto do all these interests.

Little known facts about Kevin• Walk on and made the Syra-cuse University football teamas a linebacker/defensive end.

• Currently on the Board ofDirectors of the SyracuseFootball Club which is anorganization of former SUfootball players.

• Been a member of theWilderness Society since 1964.

Mentors or leaders you lookedto in our industryDr. Frank Egler and Dr. WilliamBramble, pioneers in utility veg-etation maintenance, both ofwhom Kevin looked up to fortheir knowledge in the utilityvegetation management field. AsKevin got to know them person-ally he became a bit of a liaisonbetween the two of them. BothEgler and Bramble shared differ-ent views on what should bedone or how ROWs should bemanaged.

Jim Brogan, Forester of the Niag-ara Mohawk Power Corporation.Kevin admired the way that hewould always make a decisionand the way that he would takeon the regulators.

Past experienceDuring college, Kevin workedfour seasons with the US ForestService as a Wilderness Ranger inArizona and Idaho. During thattime, Kevin thought that hewould pursue the field of wilder-ness management.

While attending one of Dr. Nor-man Richards’ class in the fall of’72, Dr. Richards was preparing apaper for the NY ROW Sympo-sium and had the whole class re-view and comment on this paperas a class assignment. The paperwas about vegetation manage-ment on power line right-of-ways. The following summerKevin was contacted and washired by the New York Power Au-thority (NYPA) to become a util-ity forester. In 1973 Kevin beganwork on the construction of the765kv transmission line dealingwith the planning, routing, clear-ing, road building, and construc-tion of this large line. Kevin alsobegan maintenance of other ex-isting transmission lines. In 1979Kevin moved over to the NewYork Power Pool, which laterchanged to the Empire StateElectric Energy Research Corpo-ration (ESEERCO). Kevin workedon ROW research, regulatory af-fairs, environmental and pesti-cide concerns, land use issuesand various other R&D projects.In 1998 Kevin moved back intothe field as the System Foresterin charge of all the vegetation

maintenance on NYPA’s transmis-sion system. Kevin began an ag-gressive ROW managementprogram utilizing IVM (IntegratedVegetation Management), instru-mental in developing GIS as theprimary vegetation managementtool, and received a PesticideEnvironmental Stewardship Pro-gram (PESP) Champion awardfrom the EPA. Kevin retired fromNYPA in 2004.

Currently Kevin is working as aconsultant for ECI and EPRI pri-marily writing reports, develop-ing management plans andtestifying as an expert witness.

Greatest challengesKevin sees many challenges inthe utility vegetation manage-ment industry today. He trulyhopes the industry will be ableto continue the use of herbicidesas a tool in utility ROW vegeta-tion management, as it is an im-portant component of IVM. Thisis especially true when dealingwith the challenges of achievingand maintaining a cleared ROWwhich comes from the pressuresof the changing reliability stan-dards. At the same time havingthe ability to contend with thePro bio-types whom want every-thing and anything left on theROW, insisting that you try trim-ming everything first.

Future goalsKevin wants to “keep an oar inthe water” and stay involved inthe industry. Kevin very much en-joys doing what he is doing.

What can UAA do for you?Kevin would like to see more pro-motion of EPRI (Electric Power Re-search Institute). EPRI needs moremembers and more research.Transmission owners really needto make more effort to join.There should be more collabora-tion between UAA and EPRI.


Industry News

Williams Promoted to Western U.S.Regional Manager

CN Utility Consulting (CNUC) has pro-moted Jimmy Williams to Western U.S.Regional Manager. He is responsible forall contract management in the westernpart of the country, including PacificGas and Electric (PG&E), BonnevillePower Administration, and NV Energy.Jimmy has more than five years of ex-perience in the utility vegetation man-agement (UVM) industry.

Prior to becoming regional manager,Jimmy was CNUC regional supervisor inthe western United States and a projectmanager for CNUC on the PG&E con-tract. He has experience performing

safety audits and working with vegetation managementdatabases, and has also worked as a consulting utilityforester, UVM supervisor, and firefighter. Jimmy is an In-ternational Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Ar-borist and recipient of a 2009 customer service award,and has a strong leadership, training, and volunteerbackground.“Jimmy has continued to do an outstanding job help-

ing CNUC grow in the western U.S. and has establishedstrong relationships with customers since being a super-visor. The promotion is well deserved,” said CNUC VicePresident of Operations Derek Vannice.

Davey Institute Adds to ScientificAdvisory Staff

The Davey Institute has announced thehiring of two new tree science experts toassist in technical support, research, andtraining for The Davey Tree Expert Com-pany.Plant biologist, Christine Balk, and for-

est resources expert, Aaron Carpenter,bring focused expertise in plant pathol-ogy and tree biomechanics to the DaveyInstitute, the industry’s premier research,development, and innovation group.Balk holds a master’s degree in plant

pathology from Ohio State University andhas a bachelor’s degree in biology from St.Lawrence University. A native of Buffalo,

New York, Balk is a member of the International Society ofArboriculture and the American Phytopathological Society.She will work to diagnose and develop treatments

for tree diseases in addition to providing training sup-port for Davey field employees.

Carpenter holds a master’sdegree in forestry, specializingin tree biomechanics, fromWest Virginia University andhas a bachelor’s degree in for-est resources managementfrom WVU. The ColonialHeights, Virginia, native hasstudied the effect of climatechanges on how tree branchesbend and fail. He is a memberof the ISA and Utility ArboristAssociation.Carpenter will provide edu-

cation, training, and diagnostic support to Davey’s mid-Atlantic region.Jim Zwack, director of technical services for Davey

Tree, said both Balk and Carpenter’s skills were soughtafter to complement the knowledge base at the Institute.“We are just beginning to scratch the surface of un-

derstanding how trees bend and break, so havingAaron’s expertise in-house has implications both forsafe work practices and how winter storms contributeto utility power outages,” Zwack said. “And Christine’spathology background brings additional capacity to ourlab and bolsters our initiatives in plant health care andthe management of exotic, invasive threats.”

The Davey Tree Expert Company’s more than 8,000employees provide tree care, grounds maintenance, andenvironmental consulting services for the residential,utility, commercial, and government markets in morethan 47 states and five Canadian provinces. Davey hasprovided Proven Solutions for a Growing World since1880, and 2014 marks 35 years of employee ownership.For more information, visit www.davey.com.

New Advancements inMeasurement Technology UsingSmartphones and LaserRangefinders

Laser Technology, Inc. (LTI) and GeoSpatial Experts(GSE) are working together to bring the ultimate solu-tion for electric utility-based field data collection andreporting for pole audits and vegetation managementapplications.LTI is the leading manufacturer of professional-grade

measurement and mapping laser rangefinders. LTI’sTruPulse laser rangefinders are considered the best al-ternative to the conventional height stick and measuringwheel because they are safer to use, easy to operate,and reasonably priced. A TruPulse can acquire measure-ments directly to an attachment point, conductor or en-croaching vegetation which will save time and eliminatethe frustrations of collecting measurements near roughterrain, within private property and during inclementweather. The TruPulse 200X model can produce +/- 4 cm

Jimmy Williams

Aaron Carpenter

Christine Balk


in distance accuracy and has a tiltsensor within a tenth of a degree foraccurate 2-D slope and height meas-urements. LTI lasers also haveBluetooth® capabilities that can syncwith a smartphone or tablet runningan app as well as Windows Mobilehandheld data collectors running GISsoftware.GSE is the leader in photo map-

ping software and creator of Geo-Jot+, which is an annual subscriptionservice that enables organizations toquickly capture field data on mobiledevices with geotagged photos, auto-matically upload data to the cloud,then process the information back inthe office creating reports, maps,and database input. The app usagecan be easily tracked with the abilityto add, revoke, and transfer app li-censes between devices. Customforms can also be created, uploaded,and instantly pushed out to all de-vices. Using GeoJot+ Core allowsusers to review field data and createcustomizable reports as well as Ar-cGIS® and Google® photo maps. “Combining and promoting these

two technologies for the electric util-ity market just makes sense becauseit has great field-to-office synergyand makes the data collection andreporting process consistent, easy,and affordable,” said Paul Adkins,Laser Technology Marketing Manager.

ECI Announces NewExecutive VicePresident

Environmental Consultants, Inc.(ECI) is pleased to announce thatJames S. Downie will join the com-pany as Executive Vice President asof December 1, 2014.Jim began his career in the Utility

Vegetation Management (UVM) indus-try almost 30 years ago, working online clearance crews during the sum-mers while attending college. Aftergraduating from Hartwick College inUpstate New York with a bachelor’sdegree in biology and a minor in en-vironmental science, Jim joined ECIas a contract forester and projectmanager, working for various utilitycustomers across the United Statesand Canada.In 1990, Jim joined Public Service

Company of Colorado, assuming re-sponsibilities for distribution, trans-mission, substation, and natural gasfacility vegetation management(VM). In addition, he was responsiblefor transmission and distributionwood pole maintenance and otherinspections. As a result of subse-quent mergers, he continued tomaintain these responsibilities acrosseight states on the Xcel Energy sys-tem after it was formed in 2000. In

this role, Jim has made significantcontributions to Xcel Energy and theutility industry in general in the formof:• Leveraged technology (geospatialanalysis, LiDAR, high resolutionimagery) for wildfire protectionefforts and FAC-003 compliance

• Developed a Memorandum of Un-derstanding with the U.S. ForestService regarding wildfire protec-tion on transmission rights-of-way

• Implemented a reliability-cen-tered distribution VM program en-terprise-wide with a foundation inroot cause analysis

• Initiated wood pole procurementbased on total life cycle cost

• Standardized and implementedprocess/accountability-driven VMprogram across all four operatingcompanies

• Served as Project Sponsor for ITimplementation of enterprise-wide geospatial work managementinitiative for VM and wood polemaintenance

• Maintained a 20-year collabora-tive strategic sourcing initiativefor contractor relationships fo-cused on continuous improve-ment, resolving workforceturnover issues and improvingsafety, productivity, and electricservice reliabilityServing as president of the Utility

Arborist Association in 1997, Jim ex-panded the breadth of his profes-sional relationships and industryexperience. In his new role, Jim willbe working closely with ECI’s man-agement team to grow its capabili-ties and the application of newtechnology for the utility industry. ECI President Paul Appelt stated,

“We are excited to have Jim join theECI team as he is a recognized leaderin UVM and brings nearly 30 years ofindustry knowledge and experience.We welcome him back to his roots.” Jim recently commented, “I am

looking forward to working moreclosely with old friends who I greatlyadmire and forming new relation-ships as I continue to exercise mysincere passion for the UVM industry.”


Safety in the Field:Driving While Drowsy

Contributed by Richard Yarnell Pacific Gas & Electric Co

Introduction• It is difficult to attribute vehicle crashes to sleepi-ness because there is no test to determine sleepi-ness as there is for intoxication (e.g., a sleep“breathalyzer”).

• There are no standardized criteria for determiningdriver sleepiness and there is little or no policetraining in identifying sleepiness as a cause ofvehicle crashes.

• The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion estimates that:

• Approximately 100,000 police-reported crashesannually (about 1.5 percent of all crashes) involvedrowsiness/fatigue as a principal causal factor.

• A conservative estimate of related fatalities is 1,500annually or four percent of all traffic crash fatalities.

• to other causes. About one million crashes annually—one-sixth of all crashes—are thought to be producedby driver inattention/lapses. Sleep deprivation andfatigue make such lapses of attention more likely tooccur.

People tend to fall asleep more on high-speed, long,boring, rural highways. For example, New York policeestimate that 30 percent of all fatal crashes along theNew York Thruway occurred because the driver fellasleep at the wheel.

Drivers Most at Risk are: • Sleep-deprived• Driving long distances without rest breaks• Driving through the night or at other times whenthey are normally asleep

• Taking medication or drinking alcohol which in-creases sleepiness

• Driving alone• Driving on long, boring rural roads• Frequent travelers, e.g., business travelers

Younger drivers are the most likely to have:• Sleep-related crashes are most common in youngpeople who tend to stay up late, sleep too little,and drive at night.

• In a North Carolina state study, 55 percent of fall-asleep crashes involved people 25 years old oryounger (78 percent were males). The peak age ofoccurrence was 20.

Shift Workers:• Twenty-five million Americans are rotating shiftworkers.

• Studies suggest that 20 to 30 percent of those withnontraditional work schedules have had a fatigue-related driving mishap within the last year.

• The drive home from work after the night shift islikely to be a particularly dangerous one.

Commercial Drivers:• Truck drivers are especially susceptible to fatigue-related crashes.

• Many truckers drive during the night when the bodyis sleepiest.

• Truckers may also have a high prevalence of sleepapnea, a sleep and breathing disorder.

People with Undiagnosed Sleep Disorders:• The presence of a sleep disorder increases the riskof crashes.

• Disorders such as chronic insomnia, sleep apnea andnarcolepsy, all of which lead to excessive sleepiness,afflict an estimated 30 million Americans.

• Most people with sleep disorders remain undiag-nosed and untreated.

• Sleep apnea occurs in four percent of middle-agedmen and two percent of middle-aged women. Thedisorder is associated with a three-to-seven–timeincrease in crash risk.

Effective CountermeasuresPrevention: Before embarking on road trips, motoristsshould get a good night’s sleep. While this varies fromindividual to individual, the average person requiresabout eight hours of sleep. If motorists becomedrowsy, they should look for the following warningsigns of fatigue:• Can’t remember the last few miles driven

T A I L G A T E

• Experience wandering or disconnected thoughts• Have difficulty focusing or keeping their eyes open• Have trouble keeping their head up• Drift from their lane• Yawn repeatedly• Tailgate or miss traffic signs• Keep jerking their vehicles back into the lane

If you recognize that they are in danger of fallingasleep find a safe place to stop, take a brief nap (20to 40 minutes), or drink coffee or another source ofcaffeine to promote short-term alertness.

Shoulder Rumble StripsContinuous shoulder rumble strips are deep groovesplaced on the shoulders of roads to alert drivers thatthey have veered off the road. When a vehicle hits arumble strip, the combination of jarring motion andloud noise can be very effective in preventing run-off-the-road crashes on rural highways. While the exactreduction in crashes is unknown, studies report de-creases from 15 to 70 percent.

Motorists should be warned that if awakened by arumble strip, they are still likely to be drowsy. Goingover a rumble strip should be heeded as an externalsign of fatigue. Drivers should pull off the road at asafe place and get some sleep. The following listssome suggestions to take into consideration beforeplanning to drive long distances:

• Passengers can help look for early warning signs offatigue or share driving when needed.

• Passengers should stay awake to talk to the driver. • Schedule regular stops every 100 miles or twohours.

• Avoid alcohol and medications that may impairperformance.

Consult their physicians or a local sleep disordercenter, for diagnosis and treatment if they sufferfrequent daytime sleepiness, of if you often havedifficulty sleeping at night, or snore loudly.


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The Editorial Committee is a diverse group ofhighly motivated individuals from many different

companies, service providers, and utilities. Eachmonthly meeting they raise the bar with new ideasand concepts to be included in the UAA Newsline andthe annual supplement in T&D World. When the UAABoard made the decision to go from four to six issuesof the UAA Newsline, we knew that the developmentof an Editorial Committee was critical to a successfultransition.

We are responsible for six issues of UAA Newsline andan annual vegetation management supplement inT&D World. The committee works hard to developspecial articles for each of the six issues. We arealways looking for ideas for special issues so pleasefeel free to submit your ideas to the committee. Weare also looking for new additions like GF Corner,Profiles of Industry Leaders, Past Reflections,Technology Corner, and others. The UAA Newsline hasadvanced from being a few stapled sheets in theearly years to a 40-plus-page quality publication.

We do have a need for more Regional Representativereports in each issue. Reporting out on your region,gives you the opportunity to share what is going withUVM in your area. It gives you a chance to call andnetwork with the professionals in your area. Pleaselet us know if you are interested in being a RegionalRepresentative in your area. It is a great way to startyour leadership with UAA.

More than 10 years ago, Rick Bush from T&D Worldand Bob Bell started the partnership on developingan annual Vegetation Management Supplement. Thissupplement was very beneficial to UAA members toget vegetation management information to seniormanagement in the utilities. Every issue is developedwith the insight for T&D World editor and the UAAleadership on what needs to be elevated to seniormanagement in the utilities. We strive for articlesthat are read by vice presidents and sent down tovegetation managers with the quote, “Can we bedoing this?” Each year, we send out a joint letterfrom T&D World and the UAA to all utilities invitingthem to provide articles on what they are doing toimprove Vegetation Management programs.

As Chairman of the Editorial Committee, I would liketo thank all the companies that have dedicated theirPR and Media representatives to work together on

developing a very valuable informational and trainingtool for our industry.

We are in need of a greater presence of Utilityrepresentatives on our committee. Less than 10percent of our committee is from the utilities.Currently, we have a municipal utility and a CO-OPrepresentative. We need some representation fromInvestor Owned Utilities.

The Newsline and the Vegetation ManagementSupplement are our opportunities to get the messageout on the importance of UVM and the reason forprofessional vegetation managers. Be a part ofraising the bar in our industr

Editorial Committee Update

Editorial Committee Members

Peggy Jelen, ChampionNelsen Money, ChairBrescia Berg (Wright Service Corp)Dean Cooper (Helena Chem)Emily Saarela (T&D World)Gwen Shrimpton (BA Blackwell)Keith Forry (REC)Kristin Wild (Asplundh)Larry Abernathy (Davey)Luke Kujath (Bader Rutter)Mark Rice (Dupont)Matt Fredmonsky (Davey)Michelle Sutton (City Trees)Neil ThiessenPatrick Howe (Hydro One)Renee Bissett (ACRT)Rick Bush (T&D World)Scott Huffmaster (Trees Inc)Steve Hallmark (SMUD)Steve Powell (Lewis Tree)Todd Jones (ACRT)Travis Rogers (DOW)Vince Mikulanis (Davey)Will Porter (CN Utility)Coni Arseneau (UAA)Phil Charlton (UAA)Nadia Geagea Pupa

By Nelsen Money, Chairman


© 2014 Lewis Tree Service, Inc.

Tree Trimming Meets Cost Cutting

It’s Time for a Change.Vegetation Management operations are ready for technology, and Lewis Tree Service is ready to deliver. Eliminate the costly delays associated with paper maps, forms and reports. Connect your VM team with your utility’s applications and systems. Monitor work status in real time, and quickly respond to hot spots, storms, and new work. It’s a concept we call Intelligent Vegetation ManagementTM, and we’re ready to start when you are.

To learn more or to schedule a meeting, visit lewistree.com/intelligentvm


SoftwareESRI: www.esri.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/esrigisTwitter: twitter.com/EsriGoogle+: plus.google.com/+esri/postsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/esriInstagram: instagram.com/esrigramRSS Feed: feeds.esri.com/Esri-NewsPinterest: www.pinterest.com/esriArborcision: gtti.digitalvir.com/Arborcision,

arborcision.wordpress.comTwitter: twitter.com/arborcision1Arborline: www.arbormetrics.com/arborline.htmClearion: www.clearion.comTerra Spectrum TechnologiesSM VMSuite®:

www.terra-spectrum.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/terra-

spectrum-technologiesPowel: www.powel.comDavey ROWKeeper: www.davey.com/utility-services/

gis-inventory-verificationExacter Technology: www.exacterinc.comACRT WIN MAP: www.acrtinc.com

Handheld HardwareMotion Computing: www.motioncomputing.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/MotionComputingTwitter: twitter.com/MotionComputing

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/motion-computing

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/tabletvideosToughbook CF-19: tinyurl.com/abq2leToughpad FZ-G1: tinyurl.com/a2yz2k6Google+: tinyurl.com/nqy5k69Vimeo: vimeo.com/geotabPinterest: www.pinterest.com/geotab

LIDARGeoDigital: geodigital.comAeroTech USA: www.aerotecusa.comMcKim & Creed: www.mckimcreed.comFacebook: tinyurl.com/mhbccc4YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/mckimcreedTwitter: twitter.com/mckimcreedLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mckim-&-creedEagle Digital Imaging: www.eagleimaging.netQuantum Spatial: quantumspatial.com

OtherNational Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP):

tinyurl.com/mmlx23kUSDA Social Media:Facebook: www.facebook.com/USDATwitter: twitter.com/usdafsaYouTube: www.youtube.com/user/usdaEverest Performance, Analysis and Report (EPAR™)

system: tinyurl.com/kfhvx8v

Social Media & Web Resources: UVM Technology and Eletronic Tools Provided by the Wright Service Corp. marketing and communications department


Exacter Technology PinpointsFailing Power EquipmentBy Scott Carlin, Market Manager-Asset Management with DaveyResource Group

The ever-increasing demand on electric utilities to de-liver more consistent, reliable power has led providers

to use data for finding new ways of mitigating outages.Such changes in customer expectation, along with a

shift in regulatory focus, calls for power providers tochange the way they analyze outage information.A recent analysis of data from two large North Ameri-

can electric suppliers by Davey Resource Group, a divisionof The Davey Tree Expert Company, determined that dur-ing a five-year period trees and vegetation not surprisinglyaccounted for the lion’s share, 20 percent, of customerminutes of interruption (CMI).The second largest cause of CMI is equipment failure.

During that same time period, equipment failures ac-counted for 17 percent of CMI (more than 1.1 millionhours) and more than 30 percent of total outages,whereas vegetation accounted for 20 percent of outages.Davey combines data analysis and field research to pro-

vide a clear direction of how to improve reliability.Through use of a new field analytics tool, Exacter Technol-ogy, Davey gives utilities the capability to substantially re-duce the percentage of CMI caused by equipment failure.The Exacter Technology pinpoints radio frequency inter-ference (RFI) to proactively repair or replace equipmentbefore an outage.Damaged or failing insulators, capacitors, lightning ar-

restors and other components exhibit signs of weaknesslong before giving out and causing an interruption. UsingExacter’s patented technology, Davey can patrol circuitsto uncover equipment giving off these “invisible” signs ofdeterioration. After patrolling a circuit, Davey can identify for utilities

precisely the equipment in need of replacement. Data isprovided via GIS mapping and photos from various per-spectives of the location. Utilities can then use these vi-sion analytics to get a true picture of their grid’s health,identify strategic opportunities and create a plan for im-proving grid performance and grid health. Davey is capable of inspecting hundreds of miles of

overhead lines and mapping out failing equipment alongthe system in a matter of weeks.When dealing with weather events, utilities can use the

data to strengthen weak points in the system ahead ofstorms so they can better withstand wind and other re-lated damage. The Exacter data can also show utilities acomparison of weak points in a system before and afterstorms. That knowledge lets utilities associate costs di-rectly related to a storm event, and the information alsodecisively determines proper construction during stormrestoration.

For drought-ravaged areas, the Exacter analysis alsohas the potential to prevent wildfires sparked by mechani-cal failures.Exacter Technology identifies specific internal defects

inside equipment and contamination build-up of dirt anddebris on insulators. Either problem can lead to flashoverand a pole fire. In the West and Southwest, this type ofequipment failure also can easily ignite nearby dry vegeta-tion and cause a wildfire. Having this information before aflash over can be thedifference maker inpreventing a fire.One key success el-

ement so far in usingExacter has been itsability to identify fail-ing transmission com-ponents whosedeterioration is virtu-ally invisible during avisual inspection. Sev-eral early pilot pro-grams have shown themajority, more than95 percent, of electri-cal equipment identi-fied by Exacter asfailing were not detectable by visual inspection—resultsvalidated in an independent study of degraded, contami-nated or failed components.Davey helps utilities prioritize critical maintenance by

identifying the exact location of failing equipment. Usingconnectivity data, Davey can provide a customer-impactscore to allow utilities to more effectively prioritize repairs.Such predictive maintenance guided by Exacter Tech-

nology is a key to driving long-term reliability improve-ment in an environment where electric utility customersexpect zero down time.


F O C U S O N E L E C T R O N I C T O O L S


In 1962, an assistant professor ofrural sociology at Ohio State Uni-versity by the name of EverettRodgers introduced the concept ofthe predictable market adoption ofnew products and ideas in his book,Diffusion of Innovations. Creditedwith coining the term, “earlyadopters” his frequently-cited book(now in its 5th edition) sought to ex-plain and enumerate the variousstages of any new innovation’s lifecycle as it moved from incarnation tomainstream market adoption andeventual ubiquitous penetration.Rodgers observed that while thepace of adoption differed basedupon a variety of factors, the per-centages of people that fell into thevarious market segments remainedremarkably consistent from one in-novation to another. In the half-cen-tury since the book’s initialpublication, Rodgers’ concept hasbeen used to model the adoption ofinnovations in a wide range of fieldsincluding agriculture, healthcare,consumer products, and computingand communications technology. Al-most without exception, it has beenseen that innovations begin to takehold only after around 10 to 15 per-cent of a market has adopted thenew product, service or concept.Geoff Moore’s best-selling book on

the introduction of discontinuoustechnology innovations, Crossing TheChasm (1991), embraces the modelarticulated in Diffusion of Innova-tions, but also puts forth the notionof “The Chasm” as a particular chal-lenge that technology innovatorsmust acknowledge and address inorder for their innovations to make itinto the market mainstream and be-come widely adopted. The chasm iswhere technology innovations crashinto and fails when they are not suc-cessfully migrated from leading-edgeimplementation to mainstream adop-tion. Rodgers’ book admittedly dealswith continuous innovations, that is,innovations that don’t cause a signif-

icant change in behavior by thecustomer, such as changing from bot-tles to cans for beer and soda, orfrom top-loading to front-loadingwashing machines. Crossing TheChasm, as the name implies, dealswith the challenge of convincing thepragmatists in a mainstream marketthat implementing a new technologysolution is worth the effort that willbe required to fundamentally changetheir way of doing things, not justbecause some “bleeding edge” techgeeks wanted to give it a try, but be-cause the innovation actually movesan individual or an organization to anew, improved paradigm.

A business school staple, CrossingThe Chasm suggests that the innova-tors and early adopters of many newtechnologies are both pioneers andevangelists. They are often supportedby hefty R& D budgets, are con-stantly seeking solutions to real-world problems, and are willing totake risks to “go where no man hasgone before.” They are rarely wall-flowers, and often can be foundspeaking at conferences, authoringpapers and serving as “reference cus-tomers” for their peers in the earlymajority of the mainstream market.You may be asking yourself, “What

does any of this have do to with

Innovators

Technology Adoption Lifecycle

EarlyAdopters

EarlyMajority

LateMajority

Laggards

“TheChasm”


Technology Adoption By Utility Vegetation Management OperationsBy Chris Kelly, President and Co-Founder, Clearion Software

Innovators2.5%

EarlyAdopters13.5%

EarlyMajority

34%

LateMajority

34%

Laggards16%

100

75

50

25

0

Marketshare %


utility vegetation management?”Having spent nearly 20 years as a de-veloper of new technology solutionsfor utility operations, and being a bigfan of both Rodgers’ and Moore’s ob-servations, I firmly believe that theUVM operations market is now well-positioned for mainstream adoptionof a family of discontinuous technol-ogy innovations thanks to the pio-neering efforts of a number ofindustry leaders. The early adoptershave led the way for the rest of theindustry, and at the risk of neglect-ing to mention some of the visionar-ies that I have been privileged towork with and observe over the lastdecade-plus, I believe that the proj-ects spearheaded by industry evan-gelists including John Tamsburg,Anne Beard, Mike Gallucci, SharonVore, Jim Downey, and several othershave shown us convincing evidenceof the new and better results thattechnology can bring to the practiceof arboriculture and to the reliabilitygoals of our nation’s utilities of allsizes. These men and women werewilling to endure the uncertainty andpotential failure associated with liv-ing on the “bleeding edge” in orderto try to help their organizations andthe industry as a whole find betterways of doing things. They havetackled the challenges of implement-ing systems to not just track but as-sure compliance with NERCregulations, to improve the respon-siveness of their organizations tocustomer and internally generatedservice requests, to apply embryonicdata capture technologies like LiDARand remote sensing to hazard identi-fication and work planning, and todeploy data collection tools that mi-grate the intellectual property in theheads of their workers and contrac-tors into usable data that can be ac-cessed, processed and protected. The lessons learned from these

leaders should now be shared andapplied broadly to bring change toan industry that is yearning for im-provements. In our continuous questfor 100 percent system reliabilityand the elimination of tree-causedoutages, we must apply every tool at

our disposal to become smarter,more efficient, safer and much morecost-effective. After years of workingwith the leaders on the front lines ofchange in this industry, I believe thatall of the building blocks are in placeto move us past our reliance onpaper maps, paper job tickets, papertime sheets and paper storm patrolsto entirely digital vegetation man-agement operations complete withGIS maps, crew-level tracking andmanagement dashboards. What makes the change to a new

way of doing things worth the time,money and effort? Here’s just a shortlist of the benefits that organizationsrealize when they move awayfrom paper, organizational silos,undocumented processes and manualoperations:• Improved customer/memberservice

• Better annual budget planning• Faster response to reactive work • Leveraging data and information(parcel, work status, compliance)across departments andorganizations

• Optimized people and assetresource allocations

• Geospatially referenced record ofspecific tree species andmaintenance activities

• Geospatially referenced record ofherbicide applications

• Historical data for analysis and in-tegration with other information

• Standard and ad hoc reporting tomanagers and regulatorsHowever, don’t just believe me

when I say these things. Ask yourpeers that have started down thispath for their observations. Havethem share their experiences, goodand bad, and their recommendationsfor improved results. Let those ofyou waiting on the other side of thechasm benefit from the experiencesof the innovators, pioneers and earlyadopters. Our industry has long beengood at sharing best practices insafety, arboriculture and other as-pects of our trade, and it is time forus to add another dimension to ourcommunications. I applaud the UAA for dedicating

this entire issue of Newsline to tech-nology tools, and I hope that thecoverage of technology topics willremain a regular feature of the pub-lication. The association should alsoencourage high-tech sponsorshipsand tech-related conference sessionsat industry events, and should estab-lish a technology standards sub-com-mittee (or full committee) tofacilitate and accelerate technologymaturity within the vegetation man-agement discipline, insure system in-teroperability, and enable marketparticipants to dramatically improveand/or leverage their specific tech-nology investment strategies.The diffusion of technology inno-

vations within the utility vegetationmanagement industry has begun andis well under way. The early adoptersare now moving to second-genera-tion solutions and the early majorityof the mainstream is beginning totake shape. In some ways, the ques-tion is now becoming, “which utili-ties will participate in the rapidphase of market adoption thatcharacterizes over 70 percent ofthe curve, and who will be thelaggards?” Everett Rodgers, the father of in-

novation adoption, describes lag-gards this way:“They are the last to adopt an inno-vation . . . individuals in this cate-gory show little to no opinionleadership. These individuals typi-cally have an aversion to change-agents. Laggards typically tend to befocused on ‘traditions,’ lowest socialstatus, lowest financial liquidity,oldest among adopters, and in con-tact with only family and closefriends.”The opportunity to realize signifi-

cant benefits to your vegetationmanagement operations through theimplementation of technology existsNOW! I say, “Join us!” The rewardsof UVM technology adoption arewithin reach for everyone, and thereis a growing community of smart, en-thusiastic, and creative professionalswho are working hard every day todrive this innovation forward for thebetterment of the entire industry.


Sara Sankowich knows a threatwhen she sees one. As co-author,

along with Jerry Bond and Christo-pher J. Luley, of a comprehensivetree risk assessment standards speci-fication and training manual for Uni-til Corporation, where she isemployed as the System Arborist,Sara has invested countless hours notonly helping to write the book onidentifying risks caused by defectivetrees, but even more importantly inworking with Unitil’s contractors tomitigate the threats by overseeingthe removal of hazard trees. “Our new specifications help us to

develop more consistent and granu-lar classifications of potentialthreats to our system so that we canuse the information to prioritize ouractions. Our goal is to prevent futureoutages and provide safe and reli-able electric service, and better as-sessment of imminent threats is animportant step in reducing tree-caused outages,” says Sara. How-ever, on a system with hundreds ofmiles of rural service that can makethe drive to see a single tree severalhours in length, a solution that couldaccelerate the identification, ap-proval, permission, and removalprocess and make it more efficientwas something Sara had been longingto find.That’s where the crews from

Lewis Tree Service stepped in tohelp. Lewis’ IT team decided to im-plement the company’s crew-leveltechnology platform for the crewsand GF’s doing some of Unitil’s cycle-based trimming work to move to anall-digital method of tracking pro-duction and logging timesheet data.As part of the work on the ground,Lewis crew leaders had been in-structed to mark potential removalson their paper maps and hazard treespreadsheets that are provided tothe GF and then passed along toUnitil for approval. These removalsthen moved into an inspection queuefor Sara and her foresters, which

eventually became approved removalwork tickets for the Lewis crews thatwere often miles down the road fromthe original location when the workauthorization was issued. However, instead of marking up

paper maps, the now-digital Lewiscrews simply used their GPS-enabledtablets with Unitil’s system maps onthem to electronically record thespecific location of the potential re-moval. After demonstrating the easeof using the system to track the dailyproduction work and log the poten-tial removals, the next step was toequip Sara with her own tablet toallow her to see the removal re-quests as soon as they were identi-fied. Rather than waiting for days topass before the trees could be ap-proved for removal, the entireprocess was compressed via elec-tronic communication so that thecrews could receive Sara’s approval,secure permission from the home-owner (including the ability for anelectronic signature) and performthe removal while they are on theproperty doing the cycle-based work. “I have seen a lot of presentations

about real-time work tracking andcrew-level communications, but no-body had ever shown me a workingsystem,” said Sara. “Lewis came inand made the technology an integralpart of their workflow, both fortracking production and managinghazard tree removals. They are ableto identify hazard trees, receivework orders and report completionwith one digital platform. Most im-portantly to me is the fact that haz-ard trees are now handled with thepriority that they require, and as aresult the overall risk to our systemhas been reduced.”Lewis’ crew-based digital plat-

form is powered by Clearion Soft-ware’s family of IntelligentVegetation Management products.Clearion Software is the leadingprovider of end-to-end vegetationmanagement, damage assessment,and asset inspection software solu-tions to electric and gas utilities ofall sizes. Clearion solutions work inmultiple-contractor environmentsand are built upon Esri’s industry-leading ArcGIS platform.

Digital Solution Helps Speed Removals At UnitilBy Steve Powell, Director, Marketing & Business Development, Lewis Tree Service




Ancient Rituals and ModernTechnology By Bill Meehan, Esri

The electric and gas utility business is complex. Some saythe electric grid is the most sophisticated technology in

the world. Natural gas networks are not far behind. Divingdeep in to the business, there is probably one of nearlyevery kind of technological wonder at play. Control systems,artificial intelligence, LiDAR, sensor networks, augmentedreality and of course, GIS. Utilities, to some extent like thespace industry, drive the innovation of technology. Yet, over-laid with all this sparkling technology are some old patternsof behavior, and many of the deepest entrenchments can befound in right-of-way maintenance operations.Every industry strives to improve. Utilities can improve

by getting rid of old habits.Two behaviors linger—working in silos and relying heavily

on institutional knowledge. Utilities have been around for over a century. As they

grew, they needed to organize into groups, teams, depart-ments, and divisions. Engineers did the engineering. Ac-countants did the books. Customer service representativestook the outage and billing calls. Vegetation managementgroups trimmed the trees and mowed the underbrush. Themore people specialized, the less the specialist from onegroup communicated to the specialist in another group. Thetroubleshooters in a line truck or gas repair service workerchecking for a gas leak would never talk to or even knowthe names of the tax accountants. Linemen working on thesame circuit as tree crews would seldom exchange pleas-antries let alone useful information. As utilities computer-ized, they automated some of these silo processes, whileothers were left behind. Like their pre-digital counterparts,these automated systems did not talk any more to othersystems than the old timers ever did. This created informa-tion and work flow silos. It is not surprising that when a linecrew replaces a pole that an intoxicated driver knockeddown at 2:00AM after the bars closed, they may fail torecord the details of the work. This gets even worse after amajor blizzard, hurricane or earthquake, when the crewsare so stretched and stressed. The last thing they (andmany of their managers) care about is the accounting.The other problem is that due to institutional knowledge,

utility workers “sort of know” where things are, how to fixthings and how to prioritize their work. They relied partiallyon documentation and probably more on their accumulatedknowledge of the system. This led to missing and inconsis-tent information. Things worked, at least most of the time.Engineers “had a good idea” about the condition of the as-sets. Tax accountants “had a good idea” about the state ofthe tax liability. Foresters “just knew” what circuits neededtrimmed each year. This all worked pretty well until thefolks with all this institutional knowledge retired. So ironically, utilities have been able to apply technology

to complex problems, but they may not know the answersto these two simple questions. Where are my assets? Whatcondition are they really in? Recently a large utility in the

Southwestern United States spent a fortune literally count-ing their overhead assets. Why? Because their engineeringrecords in their GIS did not match their accounting records. How could this happen? Simple. They continue the same

rituals within silos of departments and rely too heavily onpeople having “a good idea” about or “sort of knowing”where things are. Improvement requires that we recognize the ancient rit-

uals and tribal knowledge that may be holding us back. Weneed to decide which are valid and which are just obsolete.We then look for opportunities to apply technology to im-prove upon the good rituals, and stop doing the things thatare outdated and bad habits. The opposite of running the company in silos is to create

a framework for collaboration. The way to deal with the in-stitutional knowledge gap is to make it easy for all employ-ees to create and share data. The mechanism to correct thesins of the past is to build a culture and technology for col-laboration. People do that all the time “outside of work”with social media. People call social media collaborationplatforms. Maps make an ideal collaboration tool. People have been

using maps since the beginning of recorded history. Peoplein utilities have been using maps for a long time too. Unfor-tunately, many of them are still lugging around paper mapsin their utility roles, while they use handheld devices anddigital maps in their “normal” lives. Esri has taken the con-cept a using a map to share, communicate and collaborateto a new level. Esri has developed a mapping platform thathelps manage the issue of silos, by making it trivial to sharemaps from one group to another. Engineers can simplyshare their gas network maps with the tax accountants.Substation planners can share their requirements for newsubstations with the real estate person. Customer servicefolks can share maps of outages with their customers.Foresters can share maps of circuits and parcels with treecontractors. All easily, simply and digitally. While GIS is one of those wonderful technologies that

utilities use, it is now taking on a new role, and its use isexpanding into utility maintenance and vegetation man-agement operations. Instead of using the GIS as a tool forautomating the ritual of map-making, utilities are usingGIS to answer the simple questions of how much stuff do Ihave, where it is and what condition is it in. That’s a ritualworth keeping.

Bill Meehan, P.E., heads the worldwide utility industrysolutions practice for Esri. Author of Enhancing ElectricUtility Performance with GIS, Modeling Electric Distribu-tion Performance with GIS, Empowering Electric and GasUtilities, Power System Analysis by Digital Computer,and numerous papers and articles, Bill has lectured ex-tensively and taught courses at Northeastern Universityand the University of Massachusetts. Bill is a registeredprofessional engineer. Follow Bill on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/bill_meehan.





By Richard Jackson

Much has been written about the challenges of managingthe living, changing, and fluid vegetation systems as it

relates to ROW clearance, cost containment and reliability.Tree growth patterns, changes in weather patterns, stormconditions, customer engagement and obstruction as wellas resource constraints add up to a challenging system forthe Utility Vegetation Manager to wrangle. Single solutions have been tried for decades now, some

with more effectiveness than others. Most rely upon snap-shots of the current moment, or past performance to pre-dict future behaviors. A decade of applied research andwork with all types of utilities all across the country haveled this consultancy firm to believe that the better courseis a systems approach using Complex Adaptive Systems(CAS) models and resources. Trees, vegetation, and customers act as an integrated

system, which impacts growth, cost to trim, reliability,and ROW compliance. The seven organizational principlesof complex adaptive systems identified by John Holland(1992) include four properties and three mechanisms.

The Four Properties of CAS: Aggregation: A hierarchical system—cells in the body, in-dividuals in economies and trees in the utility system.

Nonlinearity: Behaviors do not follow a linear path makingthem difficult to predict and aggregating behaviors doesnot capture the complexity and interaction between andamong behaviors.

Flows of resources: There is a continual flow of resources tothe system known as the open-system or matter-energythroughput typical of CAS. There is a constant change inthe system from the system’s perpetual turnover, treesfall, vegetation sprouts, and storms happen.

Diversity: Many species, acting in many ways, all workingto maintain a system equilibrium or a perpetual novelty.

The Three Mechanisms of CAS: Tagging: Tags are external characteristics of the systemthat can be reorganized by agents of the system.This allows categorizing, and identification within thesystem.

Internal models: CAS uses internal models to predict andanticipate the environment of the system. The modelscan be either tacit or overt. Tactic models are used topredict a desired future state, overt models are used tolook ahead to see the impact of alternative behaviors(what if scenarios).

Building blocks: The metaphoric Legos of the system. Re-arranging, adding and subtracting the blocks allows themodeler to see which blocks are drivers for the systemand which can be ignored for the model.

So how does this help me? Utility vegetation systems are historically difficult to

monitor, remote locations, limited resources and the ex-pense of walking the lines make it a challenge to truly un-derstand the vegetation system at any given time. A CAS approach when paired with data collected using

statistically valid principles and resources that provide a360 view of the system from a variety of perspectives, al-lows the UVM managers to see where the resources shouldbe marshalled, which areas are likely to generate reliabil-ity issues and how they can have the most impact for themembership or customers. It also allows for alternativebehavior modeling—what if the budget was more…or less?What if a storm happened?

PEER REVIEW

1

20

60

80

100

40

Peer

Budget

Workload

CYCLE MODEL

1,200

1,000

800

400

200

01 2 3 4 5

Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and Utility Vegetation Management(UVM): Making the complex simple—powering insight

The gauge above shows your percentile ranking in your cohort inBudget, Workload, and Peer.

Your cycle model. ArborcisionTM recommends a three-year cycle.


Peer Review and Cycle Model Graphics from Arborcision™Anytime access to a visual representation of the system

including which elements (Peer, Budget, or Workload) aregood, dangerous or needing immediate fire-fighting allowsthe UVM manager to see remote systems at a distance andto understand where the best benefits lie in cycle modeldevelopment.

Predictive Analytics and Workload Composition Graphicsfrom Arborcision™Workload composition is critical to understanding the

current cost to trim as well as allowing the UVM managerto make changes to the system in order to maximize bene-fit. For Arborcision™ this is measured in ESD, EfficiencySavings Dividend which allows the UVM manager to see theimpact of delaying circuit trimming, the high cost of“class jumping” as trees moving from brush to side trim,to overhang to crown reduction to tree removal have asignificant impact on the cost to trim, reliability and costcontainment for the system. Predictive analytics allow the UVM manager to instantly

benchmark their system to comparable or cohort systemsacross the country. Knowing how “like” systems compareallows the UVM manager to make proactive and strategicdecisions for the benefit of the entire system, as well aslearning from the other systems. Arborcision’s™ algorithmsare built to learn, adapt and evolve as more systems jointhe Software as a Service application. More cycles in theArborcision™ application, more utilities in the system, allallow for a more powerful insight into the UVM system,the reliability measures and where that organizationstands against its peers. CAS shows us that the UVM system is complex, adapting

and dynamic. Solutions built to respond in the same man-ner using the principles and tenets of CAS and systemsthinking as well as the bounded rationality of systemsmodels allows for a deep understanding of where the sys-tem is now, what it should look like, what it could looklike and what impact changes to the UVM plan will haveupon reliability, cost containment and member satisfac-tion. Bulls-eyeing the areas in distress, out of complianceand heading into growth level changes allows the manager

to easily use the Plan, Do, Check, Act approach and to in-tegrate the vegetation management into the overallstrategic intent of the utility.

ArborcisionA new tool developed by Arbor Intelligence and offered

through ACRT, Inc., Arborcision™ software emerged frommore than 10 years of collaborative work, research and re-finement aimed at providing powerful solutions for theutility industry from the people who understand it best.Emanated from years of research and collaboration be-

tween Arbor Intelligence and ACRT, Arborcision empowersUVM leaders with the ability to make more informed deci-sions because it provides the entire gamut of data intelli-gence necessary to effectively manage its program in areadily available, easy-to-use and comprehensible format.The insights offered through Arborcision are unprece-dented and have helped make a tremendously positive im-pact on the UVM program, and it’s expected to help guidedecisions for years to come.Arborcision incorporates targeted, utility-specific data

to succinctly delineate a course of action for improve-ment. It also incorporates comparisons, as peer reviews,against other utilities of similar composition referred to ascohorts, which groups by commonality of the fitness land-scape of each member. By combining real-life circuit sam-plings and proven algorithms, Arborcision providespowerful insights into a utility’s vegetation managementprogram and shows how it compares to others. The infor-mation, which is provided quickly and easily, offers a real-time snapshot that tells where the cooperative is headedand what improvements can be made. Additionally, its sys-tem is updated regularly and has been tested thoroughlyin real-life scenarios to ensure maximum functionality andbenefit to users.

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PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS

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Crown20% Brush

18%

Tree Removal13%

Side Trim48%

Overhang1%

COMPOSITION

This shows the composition of your system.

This chart shows how your system stands in relation to your peers.


For Larry Lee, vegetation manager for Avista Utilities’electric distribution and high pressure gas pipeline sys-

tems, the transition from a paper-based workflow to vege-tation management software couldn’t come soon enough.When Larry was hired in September 2011, he made it apriority to implement change. “When I came onboard withAvista, I thought, ‘I can’t believe we take so much time todo these processes. There must be an easier and moreefficient way.’” Avista made an industry wide call for proposals for tran-

sitioning from a time and material (T&M) contract to unitprice and adding consulting utility foresters (CUFs) to planthe line clearance work using a vegetation managementdatabase. In its bid to provide planning services, CN UtilityConsulting (CNUC) proposed to transform Avista’s UVM pro-gram from a paper driven T&M system to an electronic, en-terprise UVM program management system in partnershipwith sister company Terra Spectrum TechnologiesSM (TST). While working to create a completely digital “loop” of

vegetation management planning and execution, team-work among the three organizations and the line clear-ance contractor, Asplundh Tree Expert Co., allowed Avistato transition from time and material to unit pricing andgather an abundance of data for additional analysis.CNUC, TST, and Avista also worked together to develop anew quality control tool, and CNUC came up with the ideato supplement the suite of software with use of GoogleMaps functionality. Transitioning to software isn’t always easy; in fact, it

can be quite a challenge. “The process of acquiring and

then training staff and contractors to use vegetation man-agement software requires a strong commitment, goodcommunication, and a lot of patience,” said Larry. In January 2012, TST Product Manager Travis Yordi,

CNUC Lead Consulting Utility Forester, Iban Ocam-polucero, and Vice President of Operations, Derek Van-nice, began training CNUC foresters and the line clearancecontractor to use the PlannerVM® and InsightVM® portionsof TST’s VMSuite® series of software. PlannerVM’s easy, touch-based navigation and wizard-

driven data collection functionality were well received byCNUC foresters. Work orders could be generated quickly,along with spreadsheets, route maps and site maps. Theapplication also provided a summary of work that could beemailed to property owners.“Teamwork is one of the biggest elements to success-

fully implementing software as complete as VMSuite. Dur-ing training, it’s important to be patient and put yourselfin the shoes of the employees who are learning,” saidIban. “You have to think about the fact that everyone hasvery diverse backgrounds.”Larry, Travis, Iban, and Derek held a large training semi-

nar for all Asplundh foremen and general foremen to learnhow to use InsightVM to access the planning maps gener-ated from PlannerVM. InsightVM is a web-based portalwhere different user views can be set up to access maps aswell as real-time crew locations, cost estimates and hourlycrew costs, circuit snapshots, and various reports.Following the initial training sessions, Avista, CNUC,

and TST had weekly calls to discuss any feedback and

Going Digital: Avista Utilities Finds Success with VegetationManagement Software and Contractor PartnershipsBy Larry Lee, Avista Utilities; Iban Ocampolucero, CN Utility Consulting; Travis Yordi, Terra Spectrum Technologies;and Jenna Mushro, Wright Service Corp.

CN Utility Consulting foresterscreate work orders using PlannerVM.



review system updates. “Welearned quickly that communi-cation between all parties waskey,” said Travis. “We workedtogether to overcome any ob-stacles along the way, whichled to overall success.” In January 2013, the com-

panies decided to integratethe final product of the VM-Suite series, RealTimeVM.®

Similar to how they launchedPlannerVM and InsightVM,there were onsite training ses-sions with the line clearance contractor. Ocampoluceroand Lee visited each crew to teach foremen how to usethe new system. The foremen can now enter employee, equipment, and

production information into RealTimeVM, and at the end ofthe week send a summary report to be processed. Someline clearance foremen filled out the electronic timesheetwith ease the first week and never looked back. Others,however, took a little longer to adjust. “Some would tellme, ‘I used paper timesheets for 20 years. How do you ex-pect me to pick this up?’” said Larry. A self-described“technology challenged tree trimmer” himself, Larry en-couraged crews to learn one new “trick” each day and bepersistent. “After six months, no one even wanted to thinkabout a paper timesheet,” he said. “It empowered them.”While the software proved efficient, Asplundh, CNUC,

TST, and Avista continued to make it a priority to keep inconstant communication and develop strong relationshipswith each other. “Larry and I visit crews often. A simplehandshake leads to good conversation and ideas for im-provement,” said Iban. “Getting everyone comfortableand building trust was a big part of the process.”Historically and still today, many utilities and contrac-

tors rely on paper maps to complete work planning andmail services to send in paper timesheets. In 2014, CNUCfound that 60 percent of utilities are still using papermapping (CN Utility Consulting Vegetation ManagementBenchmark & Intelligence, 2014). “Before we incorporated VMSuite, at the end of each

week the foremen would drive to FedEx to mail theircrews’ timesheets to the corporate offices,” said Iban.“This process took significant crew time every Friday, andas we all know, time is money!” Legibility, standardiza-tion, and organization also tend to improve when switch-ing from paper timesheets to software thus reducinginvoicing errors resulting from hard to read timesheets.With VMSuite, Avista and its contractors have the ability

to provide more detail when planning, and create moreefficient routes, which provide efficiencies in addition totime saved by not distributing paper maps and timesheets. Through InsightVM, general foremen assign crews to

work orders that CNUC foresters generate using Plan-nerVM. Crews access these work orders with RealTimeVM.

Crews enter time associatedwith each work order, whichenables Avista to review esti-mated versus actual timespent and track crews’progress. This use of all threeapplications in the VMSuiteseries of software gave Avistathe data it needed to transi-tion from time and materialto unit pricing.

While PlannerVM and In-sightVM are used to manageplanned work, another tool

outside of TST’s suite of software is used to manage cus-tomer requests that need to be investigated. Iban cameup with the idea to use a tool that is available to every-one, for free: Google Maps. A CNUC vegetation management support technician

monitors Avista’s internal system to identify new customerwork requests. The technician logs in to Google Maps andcreates an icon to indicate the location where the investi-gation needs to be done, includes relevant informationfrom the request, and contacts a CNUC forester. After in-vestigating the request, the forester adjusts the icon toshow whether or not a work order needs to be created.Then, the line clearance foremen are able to log in toGoogle Maps and see the work orders that CNUC assignedtheir crews, in addition to any notes from Avista or CNUC.Google Maps eliminates hours spent transporting cus-

tomer-generated “tickets” from Avista’s main office toforesters and crews. CNUC and TST also worked with the utility to build a

new tool: a process control chart. According to Nina Cohn,CNUC senior analyst, the charts are used to monitor, con-trol, and improve performance over time by studying vari-ation and its source, and overall, track what createsproduction inefficiencies. InsightVM and PlannerVM cap-ture the data, and then statistical analysis is used to cre-ate the chart. “This is just the beginning. So far we haveput in the foundation of creating a quality control tool,but there is much more data analysis to incorporate,” saidCNUC Director of Consulting Services, Will Porter. According to the CN Utility Consulting benchmark sur-

vey, in 2009, 29 percent of utilities said that their elec-tronic utility vegetation management system wastop-notch. This measurement dropped to zero percent in2012. “Often, utilities realize that just because they havepaperless workflow doesn’t mean the data is always beingused to its full extent,” said Will.Avista’s transition to software shows that it takes pa-

tience, dedication, and partnerships to successfully imple-ment a full set of vegetation management software, butthe end result is worth the time put in. “We built a teamatmosphere,” said Larry. “We saw the new technology asan opportunity to separate our program from the herd andimprove our processes…and that it did.”

Avista Utilities’ vegetation management workflow is nowcompletely paperless. Paper maps are no longer needed withTerra Spectrum Technologies’ VMSuite series of softwareapplications.


ELECTRON IC TOOLS

TRUCK-AS-A-HUB or Overcoming BadConnectivity in theField By Shawn Shapiro, Director of Operations,Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

While other industries have takensignificant strides to integrate

technology to improve productivityand provide better customer service,the vegetation management industryhas experienced slower progress.One of the major reasons for not in-tegrating technology at the fieldlevel has been connectivity. Today, major auto companies and

wireless service providers offer 4GLTE service as an option in many ve-hicles. The advent of this fast, reli-able Internet connection now servesas a means of integrating technologyat the field level and enhancing our“mobile offices.” In 2014, theAsplundh Tree Expert Co. began itsTruck-as-a-Hub pilot program,providing 4G connectivity to each

vehicle, and enabling the vehicle tofunction as a secure Wi-Fi hotspot. Atablet device mounted in each truckwill come pre-loaded with apps de-veloped to improve SafeProduction®

and to provide useable information(not just data) that empowers

employees to bring crew perform-ance to new levels. Truck-as-a-Huballows for real-time communicationwith our entire workforce and thecompany will continue the program’simplementation in 2015. Successful companies know how

to leverage data to drive perform-ance and help in making businessdecisions. This pilot program is justthe next step in the integration oftechnology in Asplundh’s operations.The ultimate goal is to deliver mea-sureable results in improved safetyand productivity, while providing ameans of electronically capturingdata for ever-growing compliancerequirements.

SafetyRecent technology implementa-

tions, such as GPS-based fleet man-agement programs, have helped toimprove safety behaviors with speed-ing alerts, confirming generalforeperson co-location with crews inthe field, and a multitude of fleetmonitoring data points and feed-back. Companies that have investedin these programs have benefittedfrom improved safety, better fuelmanagement, reduced equipmentidle time, increased productivity,and greater employee motivation

Vehicles equipped with ‘Truck-as-a-Hub’ 4G LTE service have a tablet computer that crewmembers can securely use to get their work assignments, circuit maps, navigationalinformation, safety messages and job training presentations almost anywhere in the field.They can also use the tablet to photograph job site issues or to track property ownerpermissions.

Each tablet is set up to be vehicle-specific so that daily DOT inspections can be easilydocumented with an online form and files will be readily available to demonstratecompliance if there is a DOT stop.


through internal competition. WithTruck-as-a-Hub, having a direct linkto crews in the field will help drivesafety communications and perform-ance to new levels. Traditionally, safety messages and

training are passed down from corpo-rate-to-region-to-supervision-to-crew, oftentimes losing part of themessage along the way. With Wi-Ficonnectivity in each vehicle, trainingand leadership messages will beheard first hand by employees in thefield for whom the message is in-tended, ensuring proper delivery forimproved results. This communica-tion method could also help the com-pany and utilities relay vitalinformation to crews responding to astorm emergency.Training videos, instructional mes-

sages, targeted safety messages and‘near miss’ alerts will all be avail-able to crews for download or real-time streaming. In addition torolling-out new safety initiatives,Truck-as-a-Hub will extend the reachof industry experts and trainerswhile reducing their travel time andcosts, and it may provide a more ef-fective means of getting new em-ployees ‘into the fold’ faster.

ProductivityTruck-as-a-Hub stands to have a

positive impact on productivity andjob satisfaction at the crew level.Work order tickets, circuit maps, op-timal routing and navigational direc-tions will be sent directly to thecrews’ tablets. User-friendly appswill allow crews to provide daily pro-duction reports, job site photos andinspection notes. Real-time data willallow management to compare dailyproduction efforts with a contract’sschedule and, if needed, recoveryplans can be implemented sooner.Productivity improvements can

also be generated by deliveringcoaching messages to the crews,inspiring them to be the best inclass. Each crew will be able to seehow they rank according to a host ofmetrics including departure time,equipment idle, fuel consumptionand productivity. Also, vehicle

performance sensors can be moni-tored to provide a means for predic-tive, rather than reactive,maintenance. Imagine an indicatorthat provides an alert of a potentialequipment failure before it occurs,reducing downtime and potentiallylowering repair costs.

ComplianceUtility contractors face a host of

compliance issues, including manda-tory DOT requirements, employeetime reporting and local permitting.To simplify compliance with DOTrequirements, app-based vehicleinspection reports will have all rele-vant inspection and maintenancefiles stored on each vehicle-specifictablet computer. If there is a DOTstop, the files will be readilyavailable to demonstrate compli-ance. Alerts for non-compliant issueswill be sent to management andvehicles will be flagged to be takenout of service if they are out ofcompliance.The tablet will also be useful to

the crews for documenting variousactivities such as electronictimesheets, show-up yard departureand return times, receipt of workorder tickets and tracking of prop-erty owner permissions. Again, crews

can easily be given coaching mes-sages and scores for performanceon departure time, safe vehicle op-eration and other key performanceindicators.

Tomorrow’s CrewsToday’s “tree trimmers” are well-

trained vegetation management spe-cialists, skilled in the practice ofarboriculture and line clearance re-quirements. Each crew operates as ateam using specialized equipment,power saws, hand tools, and climb-ing gear. Now armed with a reliableinternet connection and a tabletcomputer, they will have access toresources that will enable them tocomplete their jobs more safely andproductively, while lessening theamount of time spent on reportingand paperwork. But we must always remember,

not everything that counts can becounted, and not everything that canbe counted counts. Truck-as-a-Hub isdesigned to avoid “analysis paraly-sis” by monitoring performance andprogress on only the priorities thatproduce sustainable gains and con-tinuous improvement for the crewsof tomorrow.

Daily vehicle inspections are entered on the tablet and results go directly to managementfor any required corrective action.


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It is amazing to think how far tech-nology has come in so little time.Ten years ago, there were differentdevices for different functions, andvirtually all of them were single serv-ing. If you are a “gadget person” youprobably had an mp3 player, two flipphones (one personal and one forwork), a GPS device, and possiblyeven a three-inch thick laptop to ef-fectively answer your e-mail while inthe field. Nowadays, a single Smart-phone can satisfy all of those needs.Unfortunately, the utility vegeta-

tion management (UVM) industry hasbeen slow to adopt such innovativeprogress. Hampered by schedule at-tainment issues and insufficientbudgets, vegetation managers havelittle time to consider enhancingtheir programs with emerging tech-nologies. As a result, some areforced to use spreadsheets to tracktheir tree inventory and paper totrack everything else.Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s

(PG&E) Vegetation Management pro-gram has historically been very pro-gressive with its use of technology.However, after the North AmericaElectric Reliability Corporation (NERC)issued what is now known as the“NERC Alert of 2010,” PG&E was intro-duced to LiDAR (Light Detection andRanging) technology, which is now re-defining how PG&E approaches UVM.

Innovation and Technology at PG&EIt is estimated that there are 50

million trees adjacent to PG&E’s134,000 miles of overhead transmis-sion and distribution lines. Each year,vegetation management contractorsinspect every inch of PG&E’s over-head conductors on foot and issuework on roughly 1.5 million trees.Put another way, PG&E contractorswalk the equivalent of five and halftimes around the earth to ensurePG&E is in compliance with all Stateand Federal regulations. With thisperspective, it makes sense to

consider new technology as a meansof increasing the accuracy and effi-ciency of vegetation patrols.Since 2010, PG&E has leveraged

LiDAR data to supplement a portionof its transmission line vegetationpatrols and the results have been im-pressive. PG&E’s current LiDAR ven-dor provides a detailed picture of alltrees and clearances along transmis-sion line corridors with three-cen-timeter accuracy, automaticallyidentifying locations where treesmay be “grow-in” and “fall-in”threats. Using the LiDAR data, PG&Econtractors can then expedite theirsurveys by reducing the manual in-spection portion of their patrols. The accuracy of LiDAR compared

to traditional manual inspections al-lows PG&E to more efficiently use itsresources by pruning or removingonly the trees that are truly threats.In one example, the PG&E transmis-sion team compared a LiDAR surveyto a traditional manual inspectionand found that a few thousand treeslisted during the manual inspectiondid not need work. This resulted in amore accurate accounting of neces-sary tree work and a better use ofvaluable resources.Similar to the ubiquity and com-

moditization of the Smartphone, LiDARis being used more routinely by trans-mission line owners for vegetation

and maintenance inspections. LiDARis just the tip of the iceberg though;vegetation managers can acquiremuch more information with furtherdata and imagery analysis.

Expanding the Scope of RemoteSensingRemote sensing is the act of ac-

quiring information about an objectremotely; examples of technologiesused to accomplish this includeLiDAR, photogrammetry, and spectralimagery. In October 2014, PG&E con-cluded a remote sensing initiative toassess tree canopy health and treefall-in risk along 12,000 miles ofPG&E distribution line. The initiativewas part of a larger four-month proj-ect aimed at reducing the risk ofwildfire in response to the CaliforniaDrought State of Emergency. The re-mote sensing initiative sought to useLiDAR and photogrammetry to iden-tify areas where trees are tallenough to strike PG&E facilities, andspectral imagery to identify the rela-tive health of tree canopies in addi-tion to species identification.

LiDAR, Photogrammetry, and Spec-tral ImageryThe three dimensional visual re-

sult of a LiDAR survey is called apoint cloud (Figure 1). What is inter-esting is that an expensive LiDAR

Page 32

Vegetation Management 2.0: Technology Now and in the FutureBy Eric Woodyard, Vegetation Program Manager, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)


Figure 1. LiDAR-rendered Point Cloud

Utility Arborist Newsline

sensor is not necessarily needed tocreate a point cloud. Two-dimen-sional aerial photographs can beprocessed such that the end result isa photogrammetric point cloud withsimilar accuracy to that of a LiDAR-rendered point cloud. During PG&E’s remote sensing ini-

tiative, mobile LiDAR, aerial LiDARand photogrammetry were used indifferent geographic regions to lo-cate distribution pole and wire as-sets, and to acquire general treeinformation such as height and quan-tity. In addition to the point cloud-derived information, orthoimagerywas analyzed to detect dead or dyingvegetation using the near infraredband available in the four-band or-thoimagery.Lastly, computer vision and ma-

chine learning were used to analyzefour-band NAIP (National AgricultureImagery Program) imagery to identifythe tree species of gray pine (thisspecies was chosen due to its distinctgray color relative to other vegeta-tion). This process, called species ex-traction, geospatially located siteswhere the computer detected poten-tial gray pine canopies (Figure 2).This information was then fused withthe LiDAR data to filter out any falsepositives.The final deliverables provided

PG&E with an accurate geospatiallayer of distribution poles, an “asmodeled” layer showing the generallocation of the conductors, and poly-gon layers signifying different tree“detections” (Figure 3). With thesedata layers residing in “the cloud,”PG&E inspection contractors haveaccess to the data on a tablet, anduse the tablet to locate and verifythe detections in the field.

Future Tools and TechnologyThe remote sensing initiative has

proven to be a very promising proof-of-concept. PG&E’s next step is toresearch the following tools andtechnologies to build upon what hasbeen learned:

Hyperspectral ImageryHyperspectral imagery (HSI) goes

well beyond the analysis of four-band imagery by analyzing informa-tion from across the electromagneticspectrum. HSI can determine theunique spectral signature of an ob-ject based on how the object ab-sorbs and reflects light at differentwavelengths. By identifying thespectral signature of a tree species,a broader HSI survey can be used toremotely identify each locationwhere the subject tree species existswithin the surveyed region. Addi-tional applications of this type of im-agery analysis can be used to detectissues with conductors or equipmentthat cannot be seen with the nakedeye.

Satellite ImageryToday’s commercial satellite

imagery offers ample opportunity forany land or vegetation manager. OneCalifornia startup has begunlaunching a constellation of satellitesthat will soon provide images fromanywhere on Earth at any time ofthe day. Another imagery firm canprovide high definition video fromspace while a third offers high-resolution satellite imagery fordetailed analysis.Along with monitoring tree canopy

health from space, vegetation man-agers will have the ability to developa photogrammetric point cloud fromsatellite imagery. Keep in mind,present-day commercial satellite im-agery will not yield an engineering-grade point cloud; however, for thepurposes of detecting changes in aright-of-way or measuring vegetationwith one foot accuracy, satellite im-agery is definitely a viable possibil-ity. Using satellite imagery, anyvegetation manager would be able toacquire information more frequentlyin a much safer manner and at a dis-count to fixed-wing or helicopter ac-quisition costs.

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)One cannot talk about any type of

utility maintenance inspections forlong without bringing up the topic of“drones,” or as the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) refers to them,UASs. It goes without saying that

January–February 2015

Figure 2. Gray Pine Polygons Along a PG&E Distribution Line (orange line)

Figure 3. Tree Detections Identified with LiDAR and Spectral Imagery

Page 33


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Send completed form with your check (US Funds drawn on a US bank)payable to Utility Arborist Association and mail to:

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UTILITY ARBORIST ASSOCIATION APPLICATION 2014-2015


there is serious potential for the UASto be a game changer for electricutilities. It is believed that by adopt-ing a UAS fleet for inspection pur-poses, data acquisition costs couldbe reduced by 70 percent initiallyand by 80 to 90 percent after a fewyears (compared to traditional LiDARacquisition costs). If this is accurate,the electric utility industry could ac-quire LiDAR and other imagery everyyear on 100 percent of the grid at afraction of today’s costs. This para-digm shift could allow for multi-yearvegetation maintenance cycles toconvert to annual patrols, whichwould benefit customers by improv-ing public safety and reliability whilemore efficiently using maintenanceresources.

Vegetation Management 2.0When most people think about in-

novation and technology, they proba-bly visualize a newer, smaller, faster

version of something they alreadyhave. In most cases this is true butvegetation managers should notthink this way. We should not try tofold a new technology into what isalready being used. We should em-brace the new technology and under-stand that it has the ability toredefine how utilities manage theirassets and replace the old way ofoperating. Satellite imagery will detect

changes in tree health and alert veg-etation managers to problem areasbefore trees begin to fail onto criti-cal assets. Broken cross arms andannealed wire will be identifiedalong with vegetation encroach-ments during aerial remote sensingmissions. Mobile LiDAR will survey aneighborhood for vegetation whilegathering information on conductorheights for asset managers. Simulta-neously, additional mobile sensorswill perform infrared patrols on

overhead conductors and sniff fornatural gas leaks. The end result ofthis integrated survey will yield aninformation rich, three-dimensionalenvironment for all internal utilitystakeholders.The economies of scale of this

type of informational environmentwill be truly revolutionary. It isworth noting that most of what the“future patrol” describes above canbe done now. PG&E’s VegetationManagement team understands thegame-changing potential that thistechnology offers and is evaluatinghow to integrate several overheadmaintenance patrols into a single pa-trol. Working together, multiple linesof business could complete all in-spections at once. For PG&E, thiswill lead to one inspection. More im-portantly for our customers, it willlead to One PG&E that offers safe,affordable, and reliable service.


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R E G I O N A L Reports

� FloridaBy Jess MasonIn our growing

industry, tech-nology is everchanging, andlike our trees,growing aroundus. Arbor Intelli-gence offers newsoftware as aservice (SaaS) Ar-borcision. Arbor-cision is a tool designed to identifyreal-time vegetation conditions tomitigate future costs associated withdeferring unknown workload withinthe utility’s system. Deferring main-tenance is commonly known to in-crease costs, but this is challengingto quantify. This software as a serv-ice can aid in addressing the uniqueconditions present on your systemthat ultimately drive up UVM costs. Arborcision can show composition

of vegetation in relation to trimtype, proximity to the power lines,and workload concentration by pre-scription. It can identify cost driversassociated with the utility’s vegeta-tion management program as it re-lates to socio-economics, affluence,trees in contact, species, and acces-sibility. The Arborcision software de-livers forecast models along withrecommended cycle duration tomaximize savings to the utility. It al-lows flexibility for the utilities toalter their planned maintenancebased on cause as opposed to relia-bility alone, subsequently managingthe circuits that have trees in thelines now, and excessive overhanghelps reduce outages.

� IllinoisBy Timothy J.MackeyElectronic in-

novations havegood intentionsof making ourlives easier; how-ever, the moretechnologicallyadvanced we be-come, thegreater the de-sire to have more technology and re-duce the inevitable paperwork weseem to create. While this may bethe case, many of these tools haveimproved our ability to make moreinformed decisions in the field versushaving to “crunch” data back in theoffice. First, the laser range finder is one

of the most valuable tools we usedaily when patrolling or inspectingrights-of-way (ROW). It gives accu-rate measurements—both verticaland horizontal—of clearances be-tween vegetation and overhead con-ductors. There are times when anexact measurement is needed, andwhen calibrated, these devices canbe extremely accurate, dependingon the model of laser range finderbeing utilized. Additionally, whereline-of-site is available, laser rangefinders are also a fantastic way toget an acreage measurement for her-bicide or clearing work. This unit alsohas the ability to measure the heightof an object, which is useful in de-termining the height of trees or otherencroachments, as well as the dis-tance to the side or under overheadconductors. There is the possibility to

calculate the distance between twoother objects, a missing line seg-ment, which can be useful whenaccess is limited. Aside from occa-sionally replacing batteries andrecalibrating, this is a very useful,low-maintenance tool. I have utilized both “ruggedized”

laptop and tablet design comput-ers/hardware to collect/record dataon ROW. These units have becomeindustry standard tools in the patroland inspection process. They havehelped tremendously, reducing papertrails, and by timely access of infor-mation as well as ease of inputtinginformation just once…in the field.The drawbacks for both units includea finite battery life, which needs tobe charged throughout the workday,and they should be designed to with-stand the environment or protectedin a waterproof/durable case. Thetablets screens can be hard to viewin bright or sunny conditions, but areextremely lightweight and more con-ducive to hiking many miles of ROW.The lack of a physical keyboard,while taking up less space, can of-tentimes cause the user to revertback to the hunt and peck method oftyping again. Perhaps out of habit, itis easier and seems faster to bang onan actual keyboard versus the “vir-tual” keyboards that are on mosttablets. A wireless keyboard is a verynice addition. The tablet can be abit more versatile, because of theother features such as a notepad,camera, and voice recorder whenapplicable, which allows for addi-tional methods of documentation.Smartphones have also become

the standard form of communica-tion. In the early days, communica-tion was through pagers, cellphones,landlines, and two-way radios andnow, a single device essentially re-places them all. In the “instant grat-ification” society we live in, you cannow text, call, and/or e-mail some-one instantly and “expect” an in-stant response, from virtuallyanywhere. This is mostly the casewith the exception of “dead zones”in coverage, which can occur whenout on remote ROWs. Like thetablets/laptops, when allowed to

SURVEY

QUESTIONS

The following report includes responses from various regions whohave written about their experiences with electronic tools.

1. What sort of electric tools do you use? Please indicate the positives orideas for improvements.

2. What would you like to use?3. Please include any other experiences you’ve had with any electronictools.

Jess MasonTimothy Mackey


make the most of these smartphones, there are many apps thatcan be frequently utilized in thefield; apps that calculate acreage,visualize access points (via GPS pro-grams), weather reports, conversiontables, notepads, compass, camera,plant identification, and look up cus-tomer information. As intrusive as itmay be to be “connected” 24/7,Smartphones sure do come in handy.When there is a signal and a charge.This is also a device that must be ei-ther designed to hold up in difficultconditions or covered with a water-proof/rugged case. Finally, there is the daily utiliza-

tion of GPS units/programs. I findthat a GPS unit is a great way tomark frequently visited locations, es-timate time of arrival, and noteingress/egress points along rights-of-way. These units have become avail-able as a stand-alone device orincorporated on laptops, tablets, andSmartphones as a program. I use adash-mounted unit for vehicletravel, and a handheld unit for navi-gating through thick terrain or as acompass with a “bread crumb” trail.I also have an app on my Smartphoneand tablet, which is a hybrid of bothdevices.As always, if you have any ques-

tions, feel free to call or e-mail me.Otherwise, I’ll see you somewhereout on the ROW.

� New YorkBy Nathan WrightThrough the

years, I have hadthe opportunityto utilize a vari-ety of electronictools—most ofwhich have beenvery beneficial.But as time,laws, and the in-dustry change,some have become double-edgedswords creating as much risk as value.I’ll consider several of these tools,how they have changed the way wedo business, and how we must changethe ways we now use them.

Cell phones: Do any of you re-member what a pay phone is? Whenwas the last time you saw a func-tional one? My first cell phone wasone of the two-watt bag phones. Itwas much larger than the devices wehad today, but made it possible to bemuch more available and responsive.With it, and the associated advancesin technology, we now have instanta-neous access and response via textmessaging and e-mail, as well as thephone contact—and the expectationthat we are instantly and alwaysavailable. Due to the increased ac-cess and use of cell phones, we’veseen most states enact legislation toban the use of cell phones—or atleast require hands-free devices—while driving. Can anyone else con-firm that what is really thedistraction is where your mind is fo-cused? Seriously, you’ve never real-ized you missed your exit while onthe phone? What was originally agreat tool has become a demandingtaskmaster.Laptop computers and air-cards

are incredible tools. My first experi-ence came less than a month afterwe activated mWork™ capabilities.We had a small storm and I was ableto get the work orders, dispatchthem, and be in the field runningcrews all because of the capabilityof these tools. We’ve come a longway since then with ruggedized lap-tops and Automated Vehicle LocatingSystems (AVLS) that enable you toknow exactly where your crews are.When they’re accurate, they’regreat, but a bucket truck travelingat 70MPH through the Great Lakes?I’ve seen it on AVLS but never in thereal world. We have to rememberthese are tools and are, like mostother things, fallible. As with thecell phone, the expectation is of al-ways being available, but whenyou’re driving, it’s probably best toleave it alone.Two-way radios have come a long

way as well. Generally speaking, thechange from analog to digital hasgreatly improved their capabilitiesand coverage area. If all the vehiclesare equipped with two-way radios,safety can be greatly increased,

specifically during outage andrestoration coordination. However, inmajor events when we bring in mu-tual aid crews, those crews will nothave your radio. What happens whenrestoration warnings are broadcastover the radio and the contract crewcan’t hear the warning? That can bea recipe for disaster. Outage management systems have

made as many and major advancesas anything. Do you recall the hand-written notes and pagers to tell youwhere to go and when to call? Wenow have systems that categorizeand group outages to indicate thelikely location and outage cause.These systems allow us to prioritizeand group trouble jobs to maximizethe efficiency and effectiveness ofour crews. For the most part, my ex-periences have been positive, butI’ve seen times when a storm was solarge that the systems couldn’t han-dle the volume of calls and crashed.I am privileged to have been in

the middle of these changes, but Iam convinced that none of thesetools, alone or in combination, willever be the ‘silver bullet.’ We havebecome servants to the computerand communications networks, andin a storm of sufficient magnitude,they will fail. At the end of the day,what is needed is people with theskills and knowledge of what needsto be done, how to get resources tothe job, and trained professionals inthe field to do the work. Any toolsthat can enhance our ability to dothese critical tasks are worth utiliz-ing—provided we don’t let them be-come our masters.

� TexasBy Steve WhiteThanks goodness

for electronic tools!But, darned thoseelectronic tools!There is one

thing for sure—theonslaught of newand better elec-tronic tools has usall changing at atorrid pace. But we

Steve White

Nathan Wright

are humans and we don’t necessarilylike change. We like it like it is. Wellsome of us do. The reality is we are always look-

ing at someone who has alreadymastered the new techniques andunderstand all kind of foreign,threatening, new, and better ways todo more in less time. So, we learnthem as fast as we can so we won’tbe left behind. In the meantime, oursmart phones are thumping, pinging,banging, and vibrating at such a pacewe are going to have to see the chi-ropractor to get our back fixed! Wecan’t even drive!In all seriousness, the Smartphone

is the number one new electronic

tool that has changed (improved)everything. Everyone has one—evenme. The worst part about it is thenew negatives it brings to drivingsafety, being able to focus and pro-duce error-free work, more mentalstress and pressure on our bodies,and loss of the ability to socialize aswe used to. Electronic positioning tools have

made us more productive and accu-rate with arriving at locations onschedule. Maps are great but whybother when you can listen to theBritish-speaking guy tell you whereto turn while we are laughing? Thismay have even improved some driv-ing safety because we are able to

pay attention to the vehicle move-ment more. We can do so much moreby dropping a pin at a place we’vebeen or need to remember. I call itshelf brains. No need to think aboutall that mess when you can look it upon the GPS.What about the wonders and ac-

curacy of electronic herbicide spray-ing controls? How about savingdocuments and accumulating dataand telling the tool to make a pres-entation for you? Let’s just insert thephone onto a set of binoculars andtake a long distance photo of a dan-ger tree on the side of the ROW withour smart phone camera. Let’s justgo up in a plane and photograph theedge of a forest with LIDAR andimage the trees the right way so wecan see 10 percent of them are sickor dead while flying at 110 MPH. So the number two electronic tool isthe computer. It might not be sonew, but it is newly improved be-yond our imagination just ten yearsago. It is now a way of life. It alsobrought us into Social Media. This isa big one—however pesky and awaste of time we might think it is.Almost every utility company is usingSocial Media to disseminate correctand factual information that the TVand radio stations now use to maketheir reports and stories. It has itall—maps, charts, photos, etc. Oh,and a side effect is that we canhardly write with a pen anymore.We’ve lost tons of muscle control inour fingers!!! We better practice onthat one.Just look at a crowd of people. Do

you see anyone using electronictools? Right. There is no turningback, so as Texans, let’s just get onboard and learn everything we canabout these tools and they will im-prove our output and quality. We justcan’t forget to exercise, relax, andenjoy person-to-person communica-tion. We just can’t forget to not letthe tools run or ruin the living of ourlives. We just can’t forget where the“off” buttons are on these new elec-tronics. If we do all this, our Vegeta-tion Management Programs willbecome better and better, and moreeasily manageable in Texas.

Chapter Name Representative E-mail Address

Australia Craig Hallam [email protected]

Brazil Pedro Mendes Castro [email protected]

Florida Jess Mason [email protected]

Illinois Tim Mackey [email protected]

Indiana Mark Labris [email protected]

Michigan J. Michael O’Connor [email protected]

Mid Atlantic Kathy McDaniel [email protected]

Midwest Scott Skopec sskopec@ cuivre.com

Minnesota Andy Olson [email protected]

New England Wes Davis [email protected]

New Jersey Guy Vogt [email protected]

New Mexico Andy Olson [email protected]

New York Nathan Wright [email protected]

New Zealand Kevin Burt [email protected]

Ohio Barry Gierard [email protected]

Pacific Northwest Ben Cave [email protected]

Penn-Del Jerry Swink [email protected]

Rocky Mountain Donald Lovato [email protected]

Southern Steve Bostock [email protected]

Texas Steve White [email protected]

UK/Ireland Dealga O’Callaghan [email protected]

Utah Travis Jones [email protected]

Western Craig Kelly [email protected]

Wisconsin J.M. Sparkman [email protected]

UAA Needs Your Help!Every two months these utility arborists provide areport for the Utility Arborist Newsline. Let them knowwhat is going on in your company or in your state.

R E G I O N A L Reports


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PAIDChampaign, ILPermit No. 328

Utility Arborist Newsline

T H E B E ST R E S O U R C E S P R E PA R E D

Nothing can prevent catastrophic weather events, but you can be prepared. Before the storm, Asplundh can help you manage the unexpected with our

pre-planning services and ready-to-respond storm agreements.

When the storm hits, Asplundh’s unparalleled resources are at your fingertips. From one crew to hundreds, you can count on our specially-trained staff and fleet of standard and specialized equipment to safely and efficiently help you restore service.

Asplundh’s innovative Automated Vehicle Management System and Truck-as-a-Hub technology give you real-time connectivity to our crews, allowing for more efficient

response coordination. Mother Nature’s worst – Asplundh is ready.

Documents

Utility ArboristUtility Arborist JAN/FEB 2015 Newsline VOLUME 6 NUMBER 1 INSIDE ... growing trees, which ultimately is the goal of effective IVM.” ... crew routing for customer demand