Managing vegetation on transmission lines to promote the reliable, safe operation of electric utility transmission and distribution systems will be the focus of the first Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series program scheduled for noon on Jan. 18.

Vegetation maintenance by utility companies is important to maintain the integrity of electricity and to meet all federal, state and local requirements, organizers noted. Vegetation management also must meet statutes, regulations, ordinances and standards governing the completion of the work and, where applicable, the requirements of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Reliability Corporation.

Presenting the 75-minute webinar, “Management of Vegetation on Utility Transmission Lines,” will be Marie Maiuro, a forestry specialist with FirstEnergy.

Maiuro will explain how FirstEnergy employs integrated vegetation management strategies to manage plant communities by setting objectives, identifying compatible and incompatible vegetation, defining the timeframe for control, and evaluating control options.

“We then implement the most appropriate control method or methods to achieve our objectives,” Maiuro said.

The webinar will highlight how FirstEnergy in 2019 began a new strategic plan for the future of its Vegetation Management department.

“The new programs have the goal of improving biodiversity, creating more pollinator-friendly habitat, being more responsible stewards of the corridors that we manage, and improving our performance on a range of environmental, social and governance matters,” FirstEnergy policy documents state.

Webinar Series

“Management of Vegetation on Utility Transmission Lines” is the first webinar in the Penn State Extension Winter/Spring 2023 Land Use Webinar Series, which runs monthly from Jan. 18 to May 17.

The series is aimed at informing municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers and community organizations regarding land use issues and decisions in their communities.

Other dates and topics in the series include:

— February 15: “Community Schoolyards: A Solution for Increasing Park Access in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities.”

— March 15: “Local Climate Action Planning: Penn State and Municipal Partners Implementing Together.”

— April 12: “Pennsylvania’s State Recreation Plan: Meshing Community-Based Planning with State Initiatives.”

— May 17: “Transportation, Transit, and Land Use: What Are the Connections?”

All of these programs will be recorded and available for future viewing.

The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification maintenance credits from the American Planning Association.

The cost also is $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits. In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing education credits for a fee of $65.

For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for a fee of $15 per session.

For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst, extension educator, at 570-296-3400 or ptw3@psu.edu. 

To register for the webinars, visit the Penn State Extension website.

[Posted: January 10, 2023]

1/16/2023