the right tree in the right place

an excerpt from a recent article by Jim Minick:

"Across our country, utility companies spend billions to control woody vegetation around power lines, and for good reason. One falling tree can cause havoc. Witness August 2003, when the failure of a poorly maintained line left more than 50 million Northeasterners and Canadians without electricity.

But those billions for pruning and spraying could be better spent. Instead of creating straight-edged tornado alleys by cutting trees to the ground, we should be planting smaller trees. The line crews work around dogwood, redbud and other low-growers, so why not also pay them to plant these kind of trees, which fill the space without touching the electric line?" More...