Residents are rallying to save the trees along Farmington's West State Street, a neighborhood of mostly historic older homes that date back to shortly after the city's founding.
More than 200 have signed petitions to save the ash trees, and 50 met Wednesday night with officials from the city's environmental committee and Utah Power.Utah Power wants to either prune or replace the trees, which tangle in power lines - especially during sieges of canyon winds - and contribute to power outages.
Residents would prefer the power lines be buried, the poles raised or the line moved. The trees contribute to the character of the neighborhood, which residents are working to have declared a National Historic Area.
Utah Power first proposed using a new style of trimming, called directional pruning, on the ash trees, which mature at up to 65 feet tall. Instead of the traditional pruning method of chopping off the top of the tree, directional pruning opens up a V- or L-shape around the power lines.
The committee and Utah Power agreed to do more detailed research on cost options and meet again in September for a review.