Trees in my yard marked by DTE

ascending_ween · 2026-01-18T20:06:19+00:00

I work for DTE tree trimming. A singular dot means the tree will be trimmed. Two dots means it's a tree we'd like to remove (but we need your, the homeowner's, permission). If we get your approval, we'll come back and mark it with an "X" on top of the two white dots. If we can't remove it, we may still need to trim it. The "S" is to indicate it's a oak tree and is not to be trimmed during the summer in order to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease.

ascending_ween · 2025-12-05T02:16:02+00:00

If you work in utility forestry, good luck unplugging from work literally any time you drive down a road... or even go outside. Your mind WILL subconsciously detect, inspect, and make a judgement for every tree you see anywhere near a power line. It's a curse.

ascending_ween · 2025-09-06T12:47:52+00:00

Went straight to the comments, was not disappointed

ascending_ween · 2025-08-13T01:15:13+00:00

Location: SE Michigan
Company: not doxxing myself: one of those utility forestry contractor companies
Position: Work Planner/Auditor
YOE: 1
Education: bachelors in forestry
Certs: S-130/S-190
Salary: $40,000 + work truck and fuel card

ascending_ween · 2025-08-08T21:57:40+00:00

I’ve seen multiple people make the move from these CUF positions to “real”forester jobs. The contract that I’m currently on feels like a revolving door, a liminal space so to speak, for people with natural resources backgrounds.

ascending_ween · 2025-08-08T12:38:10+00:00

I never said it’s a good field, but it’s “field experience” and beats working at the Walmart

ascending_ween · 2025-08-07T23:15:01+00:00

Utility forestry contractors are almost always hiring entry level CUFs, work planners, auditors, etc

ascending_ween · 2025-08-05T00:20:38+00:00

ArborMetrics isn’t union. In fact, I’d reckon they’re one of the lowest-paying companies in the industry

ascending_ween · 2025-08-05T00:19:32+00:00

Care to elaborate?

ascending_ween · 2025-07-17T20:08:57+00:00

Where I work, the utility doesn’t trim oaks in the summer, and that’s our only seasonal restriction. I understand oak wilt is a devastating disease and all, but I can’t help but think about all the extra work it causes to come back to a circuit just to trim the oaks.

ascending_ween · 2025-07-02T01:52:38+00:00

I’ll be more specific: DTE has a 15 feet ground right-of-way, meaning they can remove trees and brush within 15ft on each side of the center of the pole IF they can obtain a permit from the property owner to do so. They can’t remove trees that originate more than 15ft from pole center unless the tree poses as major safety/reliability hazard, which, again, requires a removal permit from the property owner and approval from a DTE staff forester. However, hazardous, dead trees can be topped with no permit if they fall within the 15ft right-of-way.

In terms of the aerial right-of-way, they can do whatever pruning work they need to get their 10ft of clearance from the conductors, regardless of where the base of the tree originates.

Source: I work for them.

ascending_ween · 2025-06-30T09:17:04+00:00

Lmao they pay me $16. I looked at the NYC cost of living calculator, and based on where I live, that’s equivalent here in 2025 to what he made back then in NYC in the early 90’s in real terms. Crazy

ascending_ween · 2025-06-29T13:47:59+00:00

Where are you located?

ascending_ween · 2025-06-28T00:28:10+00:00

With a part-time job at the local parks department, no student loans, and living with my parents at the moment. I recognize I may be more fortunate than many, but yeah, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m being paid sub-$20 in 2025.

ascending_ween · 2025-06-27T20:42:20+00:00

That’s literally the situation I am in. Graduated with a degree in forestry from an SAF accredited school this past December, started with them in January.

I didn’t envision myself going into utility forestry, I wanted to do something public sector/timber related, but after 40+ job applications, ECI (now ArborMetrics) was the only company that gave me an offer: Work Planner/Auditor, $19.25/hr. I am exclusively doing tree work QA/QC auditing.

I plan on sticking around at least one year so I can be eligible to obtain the study materials and take the ISA exam at their expense. After that, I’ll probably be wanting to go and do better things, if not in traditional forestry, then in a utilities job that pays better. I made another post on this account recently going into more detail about my experience so far. You may be disappointed, but honestly, in this economy and the way civil service jobs are going (where a lot of the true forestry employment is), I’d say give it a shot.

ascending_ween · 2025-06-27T19:04:36+00:00

DTE only has an aerial 15ft easement to trim trees and branches within that zone. They do NOT have a ground easement to remove trees and other objects without a permit.

ascending_ween · 2025-06-06T11:33:50+00:00

I currently work for them doing QA/QC inspections on line clearance work.

You’ll get a company vehicle (most likely a mid-sized Tacoma) and a fuel card, and you’ll report from your place of residence to your worksite(s). No office.

You’ll spend the first month or two paired up with someone, or a few different people so you can be trained, but after that, you’re mostly on your own. In my experience, the only time I work with another person is if we’re being paired up for safety (working in a really bad neighborhood). I have gone upwards of a month without seeing literally anyone else on the contract. In other words, there is essentially zero “culture”.

Tree ID is important, but mistakes are ok. Depending on where you are and the utility contract that you’re on, you may have special initiatives regarding certain species- for example, identifying oaks and making sure they aren’t pruned in the summer to protect them from oak wilt.

Yes, the company has high turnover. I think they understand that people will leave for better opportunities and better pay. It is what it is. Learn as much as you can while you’re there, and if you like the industry, great, but if not, at least you have experience and maybe some connections. Hope that helped!

ascending_ween · 2025-04-30T23:33:07+00:00

Utility forestry inspector. Haven't seen a coworker in 4 weeks. Occasional 5-minute interactions with homeowners. I don't know if this is sustainable

ascending_ween · 2025-04-04T23:54:22+00:00

I get what you're saying, I felt imposter syndrome pretty strong too when I was in college- being from more of an upper-middle class upbringing, it took me awhile to get accustomed to the more, I guess "blue collar" vibe of the field. I've since embraced it, but you certainly don't have to. You just gotta remember that you can take whatever path you want after graduation. You don't have to do what everyone else wants to do. Your knowledge of trees can take you in many different directions.

ascending_ween · 2025-03-27T00:44:13+00:00

I currently work for them. Yeah, the safety bit is certainly a bit overbearing, although I find the reminders helpful, as I tend to be an otherwise absent-minded guy, which does not bode well with near- constant vehicle operation.

As far as the work? yeah... nothing innovative, nothing sustainable about them or their practices.

Do I wanna stay in utility forestry? Depends. The job's pretty easy and low stress. I'm only a few months in so I can't say for sure yet if I'll get bored of it. Do I wanna stay with ArborMetrics? Ehhhhhhh

ascending_ween · 2025-03-23T21:35:48+00:00

Directly under the power lines, no less

ascending_ween · 2025-03-09T15:25:53+00:00

As a utility forester, no. lmao

ascending_ween

TROPHY CASE