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MEMO TO: Bruce K. Anderson , Director Parks, Recreation and Forestry FROM: Rick Wri.skey, City Forester SDATE: December 29 , 1983 RE: 1983 End of Year Forestry Summary DUTCH ELM, OAK WILT AND HAZARDOUS TREE REMOVALS The tree losses in Mounds View in 1983 totaled 61 dead and dis- eased elms and 75 diseased red oaks. "Chinese" or "Siberian" elms removed were 4 or 6. 5% of the total number of elms. A total of 15 elm and oak woodpiles were removed by residents and the city contractor . Three (3 ) "potentially hazardous" boulevard trees were removed by the contractor. One of these was a giant cottonwood tree with trunk rot and a precarious lean . The other two were elms with split trunks. All of these trees were reported to the Forestry office by the adjacent residents. The 1983 tree removal contract , Bluemel ' s Tree Service , removed 55 of the above mentioned trees (40% of the total marked) . The average cost per tree was $88 . 32 compared to $76. 17 for 1982 and $88 . 25 for 1981 . 1111 Compared to 1982 , the number of diseased elms decreased by 50% and the incidence of diseased oaks decreased 35%. The total num- ber of diseased and hazardous elms lost was about .70% of the to- tal City elm population . This is the lowest loss rate since the start of the Dutch elm disease control program in Mounds View. OTHER TREE DISEASES Several other tree diseases were present during the 1983 growing season . Most serious among them was the fungus anthracnose which greatly affected bur oaks during the spring of the year . Symp- toms of this disease include curling , browning and sometimes loss of leaves on the tree ' s bottom branches. These same symptoms were often confused with oak wilt and were the object of concern of many calls from residents. Oak anthracnose is rarely fatal and most affected trees recover by July. Another disease seen in 1983 was hypoxylon canker on aspen trees. This disease results in a weakened , cankered area on the tree ' s trunk which can lead to breakage . While it is my feeling that most aspen trees in urban/residential or "constructed" areas are "stressed" and thus susceptible to such fungi , good growth and healthy specimens can be seen among aspen in untouched , "buffer" and "wild" areas within City limits. • Reduced incidences of several major diseases of urban trees was noted in 1983 ( i .e . Verticillium wilt, Fireblight bacteria, apple scab fungus) .