Our Method

Our Method

Residential Areas/Yards

• Please be mindful of power lines when planting trees and shrubs. Click here for more information and safety tips to consider when planting.
• Tree trimming and/or removal is performed by trained professionals.  Each situation will be evaluated carefully in accordance with the Cooperative’s Vegetation Management Program.
• Herbicides are NOT used in manicured areas maintained by the landowner.

Rural Areas

• Trees and brush are generally cut, mowed or trimmed up to the edge of the easement as prescribed in the Cooperative’s Vegetation Management Program.  If mowing continues through the next maintenance cycle, the underlying roots of trees and unwanted brush will actually produce a higher number of stems than were present during the first cycle.  The selective application of regulated herbicides will actually decrease the number of stems and ultimately allow natural grasses to flourish.

• The Science Behind Herbicides
  • The Cooperative commissioned an independent review of its selective use of herbicides from a highly esteemed expert, Dr. John W. Boyd, Visiting Professor, Extension Weed Science, University of Arkansas.
  • Our Vegetation Management Program uses rigorously tested products that have been properly registered for use with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are applied strictly in accordance with prescribed regulations.
  • In a 2010 report by outside expert Finley Engineering, the estimated savings of using an integrated approach totals $50-$70 million over the long term. 
  • This blended approach to vegetation management is three to four times cheaper than using only mechanical methods. 
  • When comparing the cost of mowing only to the cost of herbicides, over the long term, mowing is 90% more expensive.