Aircraft checking for dead trees in California
By Jane Braxton Little, Sacramento Bee
Low-flying helicopters are joining the legion of machinery responding to the state’s fourth-year drought.
Helicopters flying at treetop level throughout rural Northern California are checking for dead and dying trees near power lines, where they pose fire hazards.
The aircraft, contracted by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., have found thousands of trees in need of removal or pruning, said Paul Moreno, a spokesman for the utilities company.
Drought has weakened trees throughout the state and left others susceptible to disease or insects.