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Rooted in Reliability. Powered by Purpose.

August 26, 2026

When Jess Jussila received a call from Stearns Electric about trees growing into her nearby power lines, she immediately worried. They weren’t just any trees—they were planted decades ago by her father. She didn’t want to lose the trees that represented so much to her, especially while navigating her dad’s declining health. Jess worked with both Stearns Electric Association and Carr’s Tree Service to help find a solution that allowed her to save her trees while enhancing safety and reliability along the power lines.

While no one likes to remove or trim healthy trees, keeping vegetation away from power lines is one of the most effective ways to prevent power outages and keep employees and the public safe.

At Stearns Electric, we love trees—just not when they are growing into or leaning toward power lines. Trees, limbs and tall brush can create safety hazards and are one of the leading causes of outages. That’s why maintaining the Cooperative’s Right-of-Way (ROW) is essential to providing safe, reliable electric service.

ROW CLEARING PROCESS
“Right-of-Way refers to a strip of land underneath or around your power lines that Stearns Electric has the responsibility, and the right, to remain clear,” Stearns Electric Arborist Erica Hippen explained. “With over 2,600 miles of power lines on our distribution system, managing Right-of-Way has been a busy and rewarding undertaking these last several years.”

Hippen evaluates trees in the ROW and identifies those that might cause potential problems. Once the trees are marked for trimming or removal, Stearns Electric’s contractor and subsidiary business, Carr’s Tree Service, trims or removes the vegetation. When necessary, another contractor mows and/or sprays to prevent re-growth.

Stearns Electric monitors every stretch of overhead power lines on a four-year cycle. By aggressively maintaining the ROW, Stearns Electric has seen a 14% decrease in tree-related outages and a 29% decrease in tree-related service orders over an eight-year average.

MORE THAN TREES
“I love trees – I love having clean oxygen to breathe, shade to keep me cool and wind protection, among other things,” Jess said. “But the biggest reason I didn’t want my trees trimmed or cut is because they are a legacy of my dad, John. My dad planted these trees when he was younger and when I look at them, I think of him.”

John planted the trees when he was young at the edge of his family’s horse pasture. Over time, the use of the land has changed, but the trees remained. When Jess built her home on what had once been the pasture, the trees were a daily reminder of her father’s love of nature.

Around the same time that her father’s health began to decline, Jess received a letter notifying her of upcoming ROW maintenance scheduled for her property.

Concerned about how the work would affect the health and appearance of her trees, Jess trusted Stearns Electric to work with her through the process. Together, she and Hippen agreed on a plan to trim the trees away from the power lines instead of cutting them down completely.

“Stearns Electric has worked with me through each step of the process,” Jess said. “They listened to me, came out in person and explained the risks and needs for the work while also being compassionate about my concerns.”

After Hippen created a plan for the work on Jess’ property, Carr’s Tree Service completed the work.

“Carr’s was aware of my concerns thanks to great communication with the Co-op,” Jess recalls. “I was home when the crews came out and they were extremely thorough, took their time, cleaned up as they went and were very respectful of the trees and my property. They did a great job and the final result looks natural.”

“We hire our tree-clearing teams locally, so our employees take extra pride in their work. They’re working for their neighbors and friends!” Evan Amundson, Chief Operating Officer, Carr’s Tree Service, said. “Carr’s is accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association and we partner with them to use intensive training modules. We work hard to provide our team with knowledge behind tree biology and pruning, and how to work together to achieve the sometimes difficult goal of vegetation clearance around power lines.”

John continued to battle declining health throughout the project and passed away in early July.

“I’m so grateful he was able to spend his last months knowing his trees were healthy,” Jess said. “Thank you to all who helped in the success of working together and ensuring the next generation can enjoy my dad’s legacy.”

CARR’S TREE SERVICE
From emergency storm tree removal to tree cabling to diagnosing tree diseases and more, Carr’s Tree Service provides a wide variety of tree services for residential, governmental and utility properties.

With 25 International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists on staff, Carr’s Tree Service can take a look at tree concerns beyond utility work. Whether it is storm damage, declining trees, hazardous limbs, pruning questions or general tree health, our team can help evaluate the situation and recommend practical next steps.

“Many people only know Carr’s as the team that clears the trees around the power lines. We also serve cities and governments, commercial properties, and love protecting and saving trees for the residents we serve, clearing for utility lines as well,” said Amundson.

Learn more at carrstreeservice.com