Despite the efforts of Sullivan’s Island officials, blowback from local residents and the role palmettos have played in the history of the island, Dominion Energy apparently will soon begin eliminating 523 of the trees that the power company says are too close to overhead lines.
A contractor hired by Dominion will begin cutting the trees flush to the ground – without removing the stumps – during the last week in May, according to Dominion spokesperson Paul Fischer. He said the work would take two three months. On May 9, Sullivan’s Island Mayor Pat O’Neil held out hope that some of the trees might be replanted elsewhere.
“Our staff will be looking at which trees might be relocated,” he said. “Those that are up amongst the wires already can’t be relocated, and we understand why they need to be removed.”
According to local resident Karen Byko, in January 2020, Dominion identified 247 palmettos that needed to be removed. She said O’Neil was able to obtain a reprieve for 125 of them.
The mayor isn’t confident of the same success this year, holding out hope for “probably a fairly small number.”
“I get it. They want to get rid of things that might pose a hazard to the continuity of their service,” O’Neil remarked.
In a May 9 meeting with representatives of Dominion, the mayor noted the historical significance of the town’s palmetto trees. In June 1776, South Carolinians defeated a large British fleet and won an important victory early in the American Revolution. The patriots were successful because Fort Sullivan – later Fort Moultrie – was made of palmetto logs that were able to withstand the British barrage.
“They did not appear moved,” O’Neil said of the Dominion delegation.
Simply trimming some of the trees would not be an option, according to the town’s newly-hired director of resilience and natural resource management.
“They would have to be trimmed every month when they send out a giant leaf,” said Rebecca Fanning. “The only practical way is to cut them to the ground. You can’t shorten them. It’s ethically irresponsible to plant trees under power lines. Eventually they will meet their death.”
She added that she would visit each of the 523 trees scheduled to be removed “to see if it’s possible to relocate at least some of them.”
Fischer pointed out that Dominion’s goal “is not to remove trees but to remove risk.”
“Trees and tree limbs continue to represent the No. 1 reason for power outages, and the routine safeguarding of overhead facilities remains critical to helping ensure a safe, resilient and reliable electric system and to keep the lights on for all the customers we serve,” he said, adding that trees that will grow to be taller than 15 feet are not suitable for planting near overhead lines.
Fischer said that unlike other trees, palmettos cannot be pruned – neither can they be reduced in height. He added that for safety purposes, they usually can’t be relocated either.
“Dominion Energy will continue to work collaboratively with the town and property owners to ensure the proper planting of the right tree in the right place to avoid utility trimming or removal as the trees mature,” Fischer said.
He also noted that property owners should never hire a private contractor to trim a tree located near a power line.
“Only qualified utility line clearance contractors who meet OSHA qualifications are legally permitted to work within 10 feet of power lines or work on a tree that has branches within 10 feet of power lines,” he explained.