The most despised people in Charleston County might be the tree butchers. And rightly so. They’re sap-thirsty minions of Dominion Energy who show up mysteriously to saw, cut, prune, slash and eviscerate trees along our streets, instantly transforming neighborhoods from a Chamber of Commerce poster to a horror tale.
You never know really when these grim reapers are coming, even though they’re supposed to let you know. The hell of it is that even if you do know, there’s nothing much you can do. If you yell, plead or beg them not to shave deep V shapes into the hearts of trees along electrical lines in your yard, they’ll seem to listen as if wearing earplugs. Or they’ll just turn away and wait, so you can’t take a photo. As soon as you leave, it’s game-on. They’ll turn into tree-butchering automatons who leave your neighborhood looking like it went through a very bad haircut.
We understand the reasoning behind the need for reasonable pruning — to keep electricity lines free from encumbrances like nasty limbs that might come down in a big storm. Because reliable power is considered a critical national priority, federal and state laws preempt local ordinances — which is why nothing much happens when you complain to your local council member. In the minds of energy providers, they’ve got to get those limbs out of the way so they can deliver electricity dependably. And to hell with the consequences.
But the problems come from overzealous pruners who become tree butchers. Readers sent in dozens of pictures of tree-trimming gone wrong.
In one place downtown, a resident complained about how palmetto trees were sawed off to about 10 feet high, leaving nothing but what looked like a small light pole. Those trees had no chance and died. Or look across the water to Sullivan’s Island, where a favorite oak became a living advertisement for the letter V with its middle eviscerated. On James Island, what was a magnificent grand oak now looks like it will topple into the road because only half of the tree is left.
Downtown near Charlotte Street, the butchers cut way beyond what they were supposed to, as one reader exclaimed: “The foliage was full before. Now it looks like a pipe for skateboarding. Before, the trees were not within 10 feet of the power lines. Now it’s more like 30 feet of separation.” Another outraged resident said, “The tree top atrocities have been going on for decades.” And another in West Ashley was not shy at all at pointing a finger: “Dominion absolutely massacred all of the live oaks in the entire area.”
Local governments need to put pressure on Dominion and its contractors to be better stewards of trees along electricity lines. Cities and developers should plant more appropriate types of trees near power lines. And both should speed up investments in burying power lines so the tree massacres can stop.
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