Andrea Soukup and her neighbors woke to the sound of chainsaws.

Before Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. crews were done in November, the wooded banks along Cromwell Bridge Road looked like they'd been cleared by a tornado.

"Something needs to be done to protect us in the future," Soukup, president of the Cromwell Bridge Community Association, told state lawmakers yesterday.

A half-dozen residents upset about tree-clearing along utility lines testified before lawmakers who are considering requiring more public notice before companies can start chopping down trees. One Halethorpe resident described the utility company's approach as a "scorched-earth" policy.

"I took a ride and, sure enough, it looked like a war zone," state Sen. Katherine A. Klausmeier, a Baltimore County Democrat, said of the Cromwell Valley area.

Klausmeier and state Sen. Edward J. Kasemeyer, a Baltimore and Howard County Democrat, have submitted one proposal to give the public more input on tree-trimming and clearing, and state Sen. James Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat, submitted another proposal. Both bills were discussed yesterday during a Senate Finance Committee meeting.

BGE officials said they supported the measures, with revisions, but other utility companies in Maryland, including Pepco, testified against the proposed legislation.

"We think there's a middle ground that can be reached," said Alexander G. Nunez, an official of Constellation Energy, BGE's parent company.

The goal is to prevent power outages and avoid delays in restoring service, the officials said.

Stephen J. Woerner, senior vice president for electric transmission for BGE, said the company should have communicated better with residents in the Cromwell Valley and Halethorpe areas.

He said the company was willing to replant in the areas, and was working with state Department of Natural Resources and state parks officials to make sure they "get the right type of trees."

Late last year, tree-trimming by BGE along Cromwell Bridge Road upset many residents, who were concerned about erosion of newly restored Minebank Run and the disappearing scenery.

Some Halethorpe residents were upset about tree-cutting by BGE crews along transmission lines in their backyards. They shared concerns about the loss of scenery and screening from the power lines and electrical towers.

"I want reliability, but I want reasonable accommodations to be made," said Bruce Packal, a Halethorpe resident, adding that the loss of trees could degrade property values.

The legislation proposed by Klausmeier and Kasemeyer would require utility companies to give community associations potentially affected by the tree-trimming at least 60 days' notice of their intention to prune or remove trees. It would also require the companies to notify the local governments, publish public notice in newspapers and hold a public hearing presenting a detailed plan of the proposed tree-trimming.

Klausmeier said she was working with the companies on revisions. "I don't want other communities to have to go through what these communities have," she said.

A House committee reviewed a version of the bill sponsored by nine lawmakers from Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George's counties last month. The House members have not yet voted on the measure.

Brochin's proposed legislation includes a process to allow affected property owners to seek cease-and-desist orders and participate in mediation through the Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general's office. A House version of the measure has not been introduced.

The Senate Finance Committee did not vote on the proposals yesterday.

laura.barnhardt@baltsun.com