Appalachian Power is paying Virginia's Forestry Department $41,679.78 to cut down hundreds of trees for two electrical transmission lines.
The project will impact about 82 acres of forestland in Roanoke (48 acres) and Botetourt Counties (34 acres). For each tree that comes down Appalachian estimates it's giving enough money to plant four more.
"Where we can, we try to reduce the disturbance we cause to the environment in the first place and when we do have to remove trees, we're trying to plant back to help the overall forest in Virginia, says Todd Burns, a spokesman for Appalachian Power.
The new 138kV electrical transmission lines are located in the Dixie Caverns area of Roanoke County and the Rainbow Forest Area of Botetourt County.
Burns says this is the first time Appalachian Power has formally partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry for a project of this magnitude.
