Let them have chainsaws.

Sussex County officials recently passed a measure to express support for legislation that would give utility companies in New Jersey the ability to clear vegetation around power lines without the need for state and local approval. The bill sponsors’ objective is cut down on winter power outages caused by fallen trees or branches.

The bill still needs to pass out of the state Legislature before the end of the current session on Jan. 14 before it can be sent to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk.

“Having consistent, dependable power is paramount to New Jersey families, particularly during nasty weather conditions,” state Sen. Steve Oroho, a main sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.

“Overgrown trees and shrubs often tend to be the culprits when your power goes out during a storm," Oroho, R-Sussex, added. "Removing some of the bureaucracy will help utility companies to engage in the preventative maintenance that’s needed to guarantee access to lifesaving utilities regardless of the elements.”

The legislation (S2505) would let utilities bypass the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Community Forest Council, as well as any county or municipal tree commissions, that would interfere with their ability to clear vegetation around utility poles.

The first snowstorm of this season knocked out power to about 37,000 New Jerseyans, Oroho said. Much of that could have been prevented if utilities didn’t have to “go through a bureaucratic morass” of approval needed to clear vegetation, he said.

The bill is dubbed the Vegetation Management Response Act. It passed in the Assembly with overwhelming support — by a 70-1 vote with four lawmakers not voting and four abstentions — in December 2018.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the legislation has not yet been sent to the governor’s desk. It still needs to be approved by the state Senate before the end of the legislative session on Jan. 14.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

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