Tree trimming catches Orient residents by surprise

The trimming is part of a bigger initiative by PSEG — the goal being to keep branches away from power lines due to the dangers they cause on both mild days and during harsher weather.

“While we recognize that the trees are part of the beautiful landscape of Long Island, we also have to recognize that fallen tree branches are one of the single greatest causes of power issues on Long Island,” said Jeffrey Weir, a PSEG spokesman.

Tree limbs can brush against the lines and cause power fluctuations or possibly outages. During storms the branches can break off and damage power lines more seriously, causing more severe outages and posing danger to residents, according to PSEG.

The company will be trimming trees along “2,600 miles of distribution and 250 miles of transmission power lines in 2014.”

The tree company hired in Orient, Lewis Tree Service of West Henrietta, N.Y., worked along Village Lane in Orient on Tuesday but has been trimming trees along the main road all summer.

Mr. Weir said that the trimmings are set to take place within Southold Town through September, weather permitting.

A resident of Village Lane was caught by surprise Tuesday morning.

Joan Turturro, the owner of Orient Inn, said she received a call from a neighbor early Tuesday morning alerting her to the tree trimming on her property.

“I didn’t receive any notification that they were going to be in my yard,” she said. “They already butchered the trees all along the main road.”

Another resident of Village Lane, Clyde Mellinger, sat on his porch across the street with his family watching as workers trimmed the trees. Though he said he understood they had to be cut for safety precautions, he wasn’t too fond of the way in which they were pruned.

“I’ll never see these look like trees again in my lifetime,” he said.

The workers chopped the branches with jagged edges left jutting out on the tops of the trees.

“The sad thing is they [tree cutters] don’t care because it’s not their community,” Ms. Turturro added.

Mr. Weir said: “We understand that the way the trees are cut may not be aesthetically pleasing to everyone, but we have a duty to provide reliable service as well.”