Bill targets clearing of vegetation State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth and Mercer) announced that she has introduced legislation which would amend regulations that allow electric public utilities to clear-cut vegetation from under power lines, making the regulations fairer to homeowners and farmers whose property is affected by the process. "The need to keep power lines clear of frozen limbs and other vegetation to avoid costly and dangerous power outages is understandable," Beck said. "I believe this legislation is a common-sense middle ground which will still place a premium on the safe and continuous delivery of electric service, without forcing farmers and other homeowners to basically tear down every tree and shrub which happen to grown under power lines." S-1598 directs the Board of Public Utilities to prohibit an electric public utility from fully or partially removing from privately owned property within a "wire zone" or "border zone," as those terms are defined in the bill, any of the following goods or products: 1) agricultural crops, landscape nursery stock and Christmas tree plantation stock, which are sold for profit and do not exceed 12 feet in height; and 2) other vegetation not exceeding 6 feet in height, except that this prohibition shall not apply if the owner of the property expressly permits such removal. Current regulations call for the removal of all vegetation over 3 feet tall.