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Welcome back to another episode of the Trees & Lines podcast. Mariclaire Rigby, Principal Vegetation Strategy Specialist at National Grid, joins us to discuss how transmission rights of way can be managed as thriving ecosystems rather than just clearance corridors. Mariclaire traces her career from patrolling the Adirondacks after the 2003 northeast blackout to leading vegetation strategy across New Hampshire and Vermont, and shares how National Grid has built one of the more comprehensive IVM programs in the industry over decades of consistent right of way management.
The conversation covers National Grid's shift to annual LiDAR patrols and the real learning curve that comes with getting useful deliverables from vendors, why fixed wing collection worked better than helicopter for their vegetation needs, and how four to six week turnaround on flight data has changed the way consultants and crews work together in the field. Mariclaire also walks through the company's multi-year biotic study tracking plant and insect species on the right of way, how that data has updated treatment specs and identified emerging invasive species, and why bringing conservation groups out to see IVM work firsthand has been one of the most effective tools for shifting public perception. She also touches on National Grid's Monarch City USA participation, her recent commercial drone license, workforce pipeline concerns, and emerging research into how prevailing wind patterns affect tree-caused outages.
Have a listen, hope you enjoy!
#VegetationManagement #UtilityArboriculture #IVM #GridReliability #UtilityOperations #UrbanForestry #EnergyInfrastructure #Utilities
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