05/15/2026
Who are those folks? What are they doing?
Herbicide Treatments to Begin Soon
5/15/2026
Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative (FLEC) is utilizing a contractor, Alcan Management, to perform herbicide treatments of approximately 643 miles of existing power line easements and rights-of-way, as in years past. Contract crews will be working in easements around the City of Madisonville area, in the Town of Tellico Plains, and around the Town of Vonore (extending out of these municipalities on lines feeding along Hwy. 411, Hwy. 360, Ball Play, Rafter, Cherohala Skyway, the Tellico River, Oak Grove, and Niles Ferry Roads to the outlying rural communities of Ball Play, Rafter, Turkey Creek, Gudger, Sunnyside, Corntassel, and Citico. Also, we will have contract crews working in easements in Greenback (from Vonore along East Coast Tellico Parkway, along Hwy. 95 north toward Lenoir City into the Glendale and Unitia communities; west under the lines along and adjacent to Hwy. 321 toward Lenoir City. Further, there will be a portion of the lines feeding along Hwy. 129 in the Chilhowee area subject to selective treatments. Properties belonging to FLEC around substations and on property where future substations will be located in Ball Play, Vonore, and Coker Creek communities are subject to treatment annually by FLEC personnel or a contractor too.
ALCAN personnel will be leaving tags or landowners may be spoken with about this planned essential maintenance work in the aforementioned areas; this notice is provided to officially inform the general public and the FLEC membership. The herbicide treatments will be done to easements via a backpack application method and with minimal chemical usage. The crews will be traveling together in vehicles marked with signage “Contractor for FLEC” while conducting the work. This type of vegetation management is dependent on the weather. So, as the weather permits, this work will be done over the next few weeks.
The Cooperative is required to maintain the vegetation around its infrastructure in accordance with state and national guidelines and herbicides help us to keep the easements clear of woody vegetation prone to grow underneath and around the power lines. The work involves these contractors walking out the easements, treating woody vegetation as they go; they wear a backpack and bright clothing that makes them easy to identify as official workers. They have information on their persons that identify them as a contractor of the Cooperative too. At no time should any of these contract employees ask to come into your home. As always, please notify FLEC of any concerns you may have in regard to persons acting on your Cooperative’s behalf. The Cooperative holds the trust you have of our efforts to a high standard and do not wish to ever violate the high ethical standards we have maintained for the past 86 years. FLEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer and always strives to be proactive in management actions that promote safe, reliable electric services at reasonable costs to those we serve! In closing, we thank you for allowing us to provide you safe, reliable and affordable electric service. Any questions can be addressed by calling FLEC’s offices at 1-877-353-2674, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; please dial ext. 161 and leave a message for our Vegetation Management team.