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Arrowhead Electric will be applying herbicide to power line right-of-ways again this summer. The areas affected will be those that were mechanically cleared in 2020. Areas included: Cook/Lake County border along Highway 61 to the Onion River east of Tofte, Inland right-of-ways including the Cramer Road, areas around Grand Marais, Colvill and Hovland, Inland right-of-ways around Devils Track and County Road 14 corridors.
It is possible to ‘opt-out’ of herbicide application on your property, but you must contractually agree to pay a monthly surcharge on your electric billing for a period of five years. This surcharge is based on the amount of power line easement on your property. Adjoining property owners and area neighbors have no recourse. Property owners who are not Arrowhead customers, but have easements on their property, might wish to inquire about any options they may have to avoid herbicide treatment.
The good news? The ‘Arrowhead Second Annual Free Tree Giveaway’ will be held on May 11, 12 and 13. In an effort to convince the membership of their environmental ethic, the Arrowhead board will be using the cooperative’s financial resources to purchase decorative trees to distribute. Actually the ‘trees’ will be more in the form of low-growing shrubs. The logic of gleaning funds from your electric bill to purchase the plants and then re-gifting them to you as ‘free’ is a bit perplexing. You are cautioned though, not to plant your ‘gift’ in or near the power line right-of-way to insure its survival from future mechanical or herbicide treatment. Treatment areas will not be posted before or after application.
Like the ‘Knights of Ni’ from the Monty Python film The Holy Grail, Arrowhead’s management team holds the ‘gift of shrubbery’ in very high regard.
Bob LaMettry, Grand Marais
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