FPL crews will be pruning trees in Pensacola next week

Florida Power and Light will be pruning back trees in Pensacola later this month, and Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said the city will keep a close eye on the work.

Reeves said that crews working for FPL will be pruning trees away from power lines in the city beginning on Monday through the rest of the month.

"I do appreciate they have notified us in advance – appreciate their team doing that," Reeves said. "We have now made our new arborist's job one is to be out with FPL assessing those areas that are going to be pruned back."

Reeves said the city was caught off guard last year when trees along 12th Avenue were pruned back, and many residents took to social media to complain about the damage done to the trees.

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The city has no real say in what a power company can do when it comes to pruning back trees to protect power lines, but Reeves said FPL has been more communicative this year about its tree pruning operations.

Reeves said much of the tree pruning will take place in a broad area of the city south of Chase Street as well as in some areas from A to F streets.

FPL will have 14 two-person crews doing the work, plus an FPL arborist on hand to support the work.

Reeves said the city arborist will be assigned to monitor the work, which may lead to delays in the city issuing its own tree removal permits while the project is ongoing.

"I appreciate your patience as we make sure that we're focused on this volume of tree pruning and making sure that it's done in the most optimal way possible," Reeves said.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola tree pruning begins as FPL preps for Hurricane season