Vegetation Management in Full Swing // May 2026 CEO Column

With the shift into Spring, it is a good time to reflect on the approach the Cooperative takes to vegetation management and why it is such an important part of what we do at Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC). The warmer temperatures are allowing us to expand our Vegetation Management (VM) plan of cutting, trimming, and mowing trees and brush over the coming months. In fact, some of our members have likely already received postcards notifying them of our plans to begin working in their area.

I wanted to use this month’s column as a quick Vegetation Management refresher—why we do it, how we do it, and the role it plays in keeping power reliable and our crews safe.

Since 2025, over 32% of the outages resulting from severe weather were caused by interference from trees. To combat this, LREC has invested $3M specifically toward VM. And, while our VM program does include other methods such as mowing and spraying, when crews go out a large part of their effort is focused on clearing the right-of-way – ensuring a corridor around power lines and easements is created and maintained with acceptable tree, shrub, and other growth.

Maintaining this clear space does more than help prevent outages caused by overgrown or fallen branches. It also plays a critical role in lineman safety. Clear access allows crews to restore power more quickly and safely, especially during storms or emergency situations.

Please help us keep our crews safe by following the right-of-way guidance image (pictured below). If you are planning to plant trees this spring, make sure to consider both the size of the tree at maturity and its proximity to power lines.

For more information, visit our Vegetation Management page. You’ll find details on our full VM policy, areas scheduled for upcoming work, planting tips, and how to contact our Arborist if you have questions.

As always, my hope is that our monthly NewsFlashes delivers relevant, timely information that’s both helpful and easy to understand. If there’s a topic or issue you’d like to see covered in a future issue, I encourage you to reach out and let me know.

Cooperatively yours,

Joel Janorschke, CEO