Tree Pruning and Planting Safety
Call or Click Before You Dig
- In many areas, power lines are buried underground.
- Before digging, planting trees, setting fence posts or excavation, call 811 (1-800-344-7233) or visit KansasOneCall.com.
- Underground power line locations will be marked at no charge, please give a two day notice.
Overhead Tree Trimming Safety
- Never get closer than 10 feet to an overhead power line.
- Only allow Westar Energy personnel to de-energize an overhead line.
- Always use personal protective equipment when tree trimming.
- Before trimming, inspect the surrounding areas to identify possible hazards.
- Mark off areas around the tree trimming to prevent bystander access.
Right Tree in the Right Place -- Responsible Planting Practices
- To keep new trees from growing into utility lines, plant small, medium and large mature-growth trees a proper distance from power lines.
- Planting around or close to underground utilities is not desirable, since the root systems may disrupt service.
- Planting shrubs or ornamentals that reach 1 foot tall at maturity should be avoided around padmount transformers.
- All plant materials with a mature height greater than 1 foot should be planted at least 10 feet from an underground line or transformer.
- These distances are necessary to provide access to the transformer for maintenance or to restore service in the event of a power outage.
Tree species that are allowed to exist near higher-voltage transmission lines are very limited and are not covered in the following:
Preferred tree for Central Kansas 
Preferred tree for Eastern Kansas 
Zone 1 - Small Trees. Areas within 20 feet of overhead power lines.
 |  | American Plum |
 |  | Amur Maple |
 |  | Cockspur Hawthorn (thornless) |
 |  | Flowering Crabapple |
 |  | Flowering Dogwood |
|  | Japanese Maple |
 |  | Oklahoma Redbud |
 |  | Pinyon Pine |
 |  | Smoketree, short varieties |
|  | Star Magnolia |
|  | White Fringetree |
 |  | Winterberry Euonymus |
Zone 2 - Medium Trees. Areas within 20 to 45 feet of overhead power lines.
|  | American Hornbeam |
|  | American Yellowwood |
 |  | Black Hills Spruce |
 |  | Callery Ornament Pear |
|  | Canada Red Chokecherry |
|  | Chinese Fringetree |
 | | Chinese Pistache |
 |  | Chinkapin Oak |
 |  | Eastern Redbud |
 |  | Eastern Red Cedar |
 |  | Goldrenrain Tree |
 |  | Hedge Maple |
|  | Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood) |
|  | Ivory Silk Japanese Tree Lilac |
 |  | Limber Pine |
 |  | Osage Orange (fruitless, thornless) |
|  | Paperbark Maple |
|  | Saucer Magnolia |
|  | Serviceberry |
 |  | Shantung Maple (Purpleblow) |
|  | Sweet Bay Magnolia |
 |  | Trident Maple |
 |  | Upright Chinese Juniper |
|  | Western Soapberry |
 | | White Mulberry |
|
Zone 3 - Large Trees. Areas 45 feet and greater from overhead power lines.
 |  | American Linden |
 | | Austrian Pine |
 |  | Bald Cypress |
|  | Black Gum |
 |  | Bur Oak |
|  | Chestnut Oak |
 | | Common Hackberry |
 |  | English Oak |
|  | Europeon Hornbeam |
 |  | Freeman Maple |
 |  | Ginkgo |
 |  | Green Ash |
 | | Japanese Zelkova |
 |  | Kentucky Coffeetree |
 |  | Lacebark Elm |
 |  | Littleleaf Linden |
 |  | London Plane Tree |
|  | Norway Maple |
|  | Persimmon |
 |  | Red Maple Hybrids |
 |  | Red Oak |
 |  | River Birch |
 |  | Sawtooth Oak |
 |  | Shumard Oak |
|  | Southwestern White Pine |
 |  | Sugar Maple |
 |  | Swamp White Oak |
|  | Sweet Gum |
 |  | Thornless Honeylocust |
 |  | White Ash |
|  | White Oak |
|  | Willow Oak |