Trees and other brush are the leading cause of power outages for I&M customers – especially during severe weather. That’s why we have a Forestry Department.

The team is comprised of 6 forestry employees and around 450 qualified business partners who locate and manage threatening trees and vegetation before they cause a problem. This helps to ensure customers receive safe and reliable power.

Here are ten interesting facts about I&M’s Forestry Department:

1. I&M maintains and operates more than 20,000 miles of distribution poles and power lines that safely deliver electricity to homes and businesses across Indiana and Michigan. Our forestry team is responsible for managing trees and vegetation along these lines.
2. I&M has a comprehensive vegetation management program. Under this program, every four years in Indiana and Michigan, our forestry experts are in our neighborhoods assessing trees near power lines and equipment.
3. Applying this vegetation management program allows I&M to reduce the amount of time customers are without power from tree-related outages by 20% over the past five years.
4. In 2024, crews completed more than 2,500 miles of inspecting, trimming and removing potential tree-related issues to help enhance reliable service for customers in Indiana and Michigan. This year, the Forestry team has a target goal of clearing vegetation from an additional 2,500 miles of power lines.
5. Forestry experts inspect trees and other vegetation near power lines in several ways. In most cases, employees and work planners assess trees by walking the lines. In hard-to-reach areas, the team utilizes drones or helicopters to safely assess growth patterns and inspect for potential hazards.

6. 

   I&M uses a variety of tools to trim back trees and vegetation from power lines. We use multiple licensed tree care companies that are qualified to work around overhead lines and do so by bucket trucks, cranes, or by climbing the tree itself. I&M also uses aerial trimming equipment, commonly referred to as “Jaraffes.” These are boom-mounted saw blades that, when used in the right situation, can reduce the time it takes to trim trees manually.
7. I&M’s Forestry Department is focused on safety during inspections. Overgrown or rotten vegetation and trees can create hazards for fellow I&M employees – including line workers – and customers.
8. During storm restoration, the I&M Forestry team plays a significant role. They coordinate hundreds of qualified tree trimming experts that are called upon to remove limbs, branches and even large trees away from power poles and power lines, before fellow employees can restore power.
9. Often, professional utility foresters have extensive training and certifications. Some of our employees have degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Management and others are certified arborists who are active with the Indiana Arborist Association and the Utility Arborist Association, an affiliate of the International Society of Arboriculture.

10. 

    So, what does I&M do with some of the branches and leaves we trim? We partner with the Fort Wayne  Zoo and Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend through our Branch to Browse program. Based on an approved list of non-toxic plant species from the zoo, we identify and bundle some of the fresh tree trimmings, branches, twigs, as well as hollow logs or perching materials. Our team delivers these by truckload to these zoos.

If we have forestry work planned in your community, we’ll let you know what to expect. If we need to do tree trimming or removal work on your property, a work planner will come to your door. If you aren’t home, we’ll leave a door hanger with phone number to call for questions and concerns.

It’s important to keep your contact information up to date, so our team can reach you. To verify your account information is correct, visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/Account.