Environmental Stewardship Strategy for Utility Rights-of-Way

Please call 1-800-334-5453 or 301-645-4222 to order publications. You may also print out the order form and mail it in with your payment or fax it to 301-843-0159. For all electronic subscription orders, please fill out the Subscriber Agreement Form and mail/fax it to 202-508-5030.

The goal of right-of-way vegetation management programs is to provide safe transmission and distribution service to customers, minimize interruptions caused by trees and other vegetation, and maintain a harmonious relationship with varied land uses and the environment. In 1997, as a participant in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) "Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Strategy Program," the Edison Electric Institute's Vegetation Management Task Force developed a use/risk reduction strategy to apply towards rights-of-way maintenance.

The strategy, approved by the EPA, relies on the optimal combination of mechanical and chemical methods to manage vegetation in a utility right-of-way. The resulting benefits include reduced risk to human health, minimal environmental impact, and reduction of traditional chemical methods. This comprehensive package includes the strategy workbook, a video, which addresses the available tools, and  accompanying references to the scientific research behind the strategy’s components.