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1 <br />WS – Item 2 <br /> <br />WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />Work Session Item 2 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Date: February 4, 2013 <br /> <br />To: City Council <br /> <br />From: Marty Asleson <br /> <br />Re: Emerald Ash Borer Update <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Emerald Ash Borer was recently discovered in Minneapolis in the Prospect Park <br />neighborhood. S ince then, an EAB infestation was discovered in the Minneapolis <br />tree processing area at Fort Snelling. An infestation was also discovered in <br />Showview. This infestation is approximately 5 miles from Lino Lakes. <br />The City has taken precautions to not plan t any more than 10 to 15 % of any one <br />species in any neighborhood. When we first heard about the introduction of Emerald <br />Ash borer In Detroit in 2003, we stopped planting Ash trees altogether. Because of <br />the precautions that have been taken we should hav e a minimum impact to City <br />resources compared to many other Cities where only ash trees were planted. <br />Private residential and wilding trees however, may be in the tens of thousands <br />To date, staff has inventoried 777 Ash trees on public properties in Lino Lakes. <br />Public properties include parks, street boulevards and other open space areas. The <br />average size Ash tree on City property is 8 inches. <br />Our largest concentration of Ash trees on City owned properties is in Country Lakes <br />Park. There are 292 Ash tree s in Country Lakes Park. These Ash trees are mixed in <br />with several other species of trees including Oak, Hackberry, Poplar and Boxelder . <br />Our next largest concentration of Ash trees in the City owned open space areas in <br />the South Resha nau Lake Estates are a. There are 57 Ash Trees in this area. <br />Once EAB is discovered in an area, there is approximately 5 years before all Ash <br />trees in that area are killed by EAB, unless the trees are treated. Some Cities, <br />including Cities like L acrosse Wisconsin, have cho sen to chemically treat some of <br />their Ash trees. They are treating some of their Ash trees in order to maintain <br />aesthetic quality, and to render more time to remove and replace existing trees. <br />Treating trees allows you to permanently keep high value tre es and stage the loss of