01-26-2012 Agenda and Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

EMERALD ASH BORER MANAGEMENT PLAN – DRAFT CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW 1/3 OVERVIEW In the summer of 2011, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed an infestation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Shoreview, only a quarter of a mile east of Mounds View's border near Hillview Dr./Oakwood Dr./35W neighborhood. While this could be a relatively young infestation, it is thought that the pest could likely already be in Mounds View but currently undetected. This non- native, destructive insect has killed tens of millions of ash trees in 15 states and two Canadian provinces. In addition to the Shoreview find, Minnesota's known infestations include areas in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Falcon Heights and Houston/Winona counties. The Emerald Ash Borer can infest and kill all true ash (fraxinus) trees including green, white, and black ash. There are thousands of ash trees in Mounds View, almost all of them are green ash. Once EAB establishes, an infested ash tree will usually die over a period of three to five years. The initial year or two of infestation can be sometimes difficult to observe. Once established, the insect's larval form (worm) will tunnel under the ash tree's bark and disrupt the tree's nutrients and water. The tree's death then follows. The adult form of the insect is metallic green, about one half inch in length and emerges from a small (one-eighth inch), D-shaped exit hole. It is active from May to September. The adult EAB flies from an infected tree to a healthy tree to continue the cycle. The distance of overland spread can be about one half mile annually. Added spread could occur if infested ash firewood or parts are transported to uninfected sites. As a result, a quarantine of ash wood and other ash tree parts exists for all of Ramsey, Hennepin, Houston and Winona Counties of Minnesota. The following will be important for Mounds View residents to know regarding the Emerald Ash Borer: • Don't transport any ash firewood or other ash tree parts in or out of Mounds View except to a specified removal site within the county. • Watch for dying ash or declining health in ash trees. Some signs could be woodpeckers pulling bark off ash trees, D-shaped holes in an ash tree's bark and winding tunnels under the bark of an ash tree. Please call the City's forestry number at 763-717-4065 or MDA hotline at 888-545-6684 if you observe such symptoms on an ash tree. • Ash trees can be protected by the timely and proper injection/application of an approved chemical by a licensed and certified contractor. • Some websites with more EAB information are: www.extension.umn.edu, www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives, and www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/pestmanagement/eab As a result of the nearby discovery of EAB, it is felt that now (2012) is an appropriate time to implement an up-to-date EAB management plan that could include timely ash tree removals, replacement tree planting with other suitable native species and the protection (injection) of a number of identified, key park ash trees. For the City's purposes, this plan will be broken down to three areas of focus: 1) Ash trees on City-owned land; 2) Ash trees on City right-of-ways; and 3) Ash trees on private property. EMERALD ASH BORER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MOUNDS VIEW PUBLIC LAND There are 114 green ash trees growing in Mounds View's parks and on well-house sites. Of these, 102 should be considered for protection from the impending EAB infestation. The ash trees in question are mostly mature and well-pruned. They offer great benefits to heavily used park areas such as the Silver View Park softball and parking lot site, the Greenfield Park baseball bleachers and City Hall's ball field and picnic facilities. Twelve (12) unprotected, green ash trees on public property will be removed for reasons of poor condition/placement, These trees will be replaced with suitable native trees of preferred species.