Using Drones for Vegetation Management and Utility Inspections

Q1:  How did each of you get started in the drone industry and end up in your current roles? 

Rachel: I’ve been in aviation and the drone space for a little over ten years. I started on the manned aircraft side while finishing my private pilot license at a local flight school. Around that time, the FAA Part 107 rule came out and I began using drones for photography, especially real estate. From there I joined a roofing company that used drones for visual and infrared inspections of buildings. The company saw so much value in drones that they launched a dedicated service line. I started as a pilot and later moved into an operations management and chief technology officer role.

Deb: I’ve also been involved in the drone space for quite some time and have seen the industry evolve significantly. Watching how drone technology has progressed and how companies are now integrating drones into everyday operations has been exciting. At Davey Resource Group, my focus is managing drone operations and helping integrate this technology into our environmental and utility projects. 

Q2:  For those unfamiliar with Davey Resource Group, what does the company do and how do drones fit into your work? 

Deb: Davey Resource Group is an environmental and natural resource consulting firm and a subsidiary of the Davey Tree Expert Company. We have offices across the country and focus on environmental consulting, restoration, urban forestry, engineering, and utility solutions. Our team works with a wide range of specialists including biologists, ecologists, GIS experts, and remote sensing professionals. The goal is to provide customized solutions that help clients manage natural resources and infrastructure efficiently.

Q3:  What exactly is vegetation management, and how were these tasks handled before drones? 

Rachel: Vegetation management focuses on maintaining safe clearances around infrastructure like power lines, pipelines, and solar farms. Utilities are required to maintain these right-of-way areas to prevent hazards such as wildfires or equipment damage. Before drones, most of this work relied on boots on the ground inspections, satellite imagery, or manned aircraft surveys. While those methods worked, they were slower and sometimes less precise.

Deb: Drones changed that by allowing us to capture high-resolution imagery and data much more efficiently. We can fly lower and slower than traditional aircraft and use specialized sensors to identify vegetation issues with greater accuracy.

Q4:  What types of drone technology and sensors are used for these operations? 

Rachel: We use a variety of sensors depending on the project. These include standard visual cameras, thermal sensors, multispectral cameras, and LiDAR systems. Drones also help with spraying and seeding operations. For example, we might fly LiDAR missions before construction to calculate how much vegetation needs to be removed. After construction we can inspect assets and help maintain the right-of-way by applying treatments or seeding ground cover.

Q5:  What challenges did you face when launching drone operations for these use cases? 

Q6:  What safety and efficiency improvements do drones bring to vegetation management operations? 

Rachel: Drones significantly reduce human exposure to chemicals compared to traditional methods like backpack spraying. The aircraft can apply treatments precisely while operators remain at a safe distance.

Deb: There are also efficiency gains. In some cases, drone spraying can be up to four times more efficient than manual ground operations. Drones are especially helpful in difficult or dangerous areas such as steep terrain or remote locations that are hard for crews to access.

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