Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee

Membership Meeting Minutes

December 18, 2003      9:30am – 11:30a.m.
MN State Horticultural Society, St. Paul, MN
www.mnstac.org

Attendance:

Name
Affiliation

Bruce Bacon

City of Ramsey

Emily Barbeau

Metro Park & Open Space Committee

Peggy Booth

Minnesota DNR, Forestry

Kirk Brown

Tree Trust

Paul Buck

City of Plymouth

Lisa Burban

USDA Forestry

James Burks

City of Crystal/Robbinsdale

Susan Burks

Minnesota DNR, Forest Health

Val Cervanka

MN Dept of Agriculture

Bob Condon

Tree Care Advisor

Peter Dziuk

MN Dept of Agriculture

Chad Giblin

U of MN TRE Nursery

Dan Gullickson

MN DOT

Dave Hanson

University of Minnesota

Rich Hauer

University of WI, Stevens Point

Jim Hermann

Mpls Park & Recreation Board, Forestry

Katie Himanga

Heartwood Forestry

Ken Holman

Minnesota DNR, Forestry

Gary R. Johnson

University of Minnesota

Cameron Kytonen

City of Andover

Michael Max

EnvironMentor Systems

Sandy McCartney

City of St. Louis Park

Steve Michelson

Consulting Forester

Don Mueller

Minnesota DNR, Forestry

Jim Nayes

Living Sculpture and MSA

Lara Newberger

City of Plymouth

Mark Schnobrich

City of Hutchinson

Ralph Sievert

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, Forestry

Ken Simons

Heritage Shade Tree Consultants

Mark Stennes

Top Notch Tree Care

Lorrie Stromme

Tree Care Advisor

Kimberly Thielen-Cremers

MN Dept of Agriculture

Jim Vaughan

City of St. Louis Park

Kathy Widin

City of Stillwater


Call to Order.  The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by Lorrie Stromme, President, on Thursday, December 18, 2003, at the MN State Horticultural Society Center for Northern Gardening, 1755 Prior Ave., St. Paul, MN.

 

Approval of Minutes. The Minutes of the 11/20/03 membership meeting were reviewed and approved.  Motion/Second: Kirk Brown/Mark Stennes.  Motion carried.

 

Announcements, Open Forum, Calendar Items:

·        The Minnesota Green Expo is January 7-9, 2004, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

·        Global Warming/Carbon Credits workshop was held at MN DNR office in St. Paul on Dec. 17th.

·        Next MnSTAC meeting on Jan. 15, 2004, at MDA office in St. Paul.

·        Sustainability Conference, Jan. 17, 2004, Augsburg College, Minneapolis.

·        Nominations for the annual MnSTAC awards will be accepted through February 18, 2004.  Nomination forms were provided at the meeting and are also available on the web site.

·        School of Turfgrass Management workshop, February 23-27, 2004, in Minneapolis.

·        Arborist Training workshop on Feb. 27, 2004, in Rochester.

·        Shade Tree Short Course, March 23-24, 2004, Bethel College, St. Paul.

·        MnSTAC Awards program on April 16, 2004, at the Arboretum.

·        Living Green Expo, May 1-2, 2004, at the State Fairgrounds, St. Paul.

·        MN Landscape Arboretum will present “Tree Houses & Tree Places: A Celebration of Trees" from June through October 10, 2004 at the Arboretum.  The juried exhibit will showcase one-of-a-kind tree houses designed to educate visitors about the benefits of trees.

 

Elections

President.  M/S: Michael Max/Don Mueller: That Ken Simons be elected MnSTAC President for the term 2003-2006.  Motion carried.

Vice-President. M/S: Don Mueller: That Michael Max be elected MnSTAC Vice-President for the term January through December 2004.  Motion carried.

Two Non-Designated Board Members: M/S: Katie Himanga/Michael Max: That Kirk Brown and Jim Hermann be elected as non-designated members of the MnSTAC Board of Directors for the term 2004 through 2005.   Motion carried.

 

Lorrie Stromme and the other MnSTAC members gave Kathy Widin a warm round of applause to show appreciation for Kathy’s service as MnSTAC Board member from 2002 through 2003.  Even though she is leaving the board, Kathy agreed to remain as Co-Chair of MnSTAC’s Forest Health Committee.

 

Contract for MnSTAC Clerical Support

The MnSTAC board recommended that MnSTAC allocate up to $5,000 to pay for clerical support for MnSTAC.  Ken Holman distributed a list of typical clerical tasks for MnSTAC support, totaling 244 hours per year.  This number can be adjusted downward, if volunteers perform some of the tasks.  Tree Trust has offered to perform these tasks at a rate of $22/hour.  A State contract for services under $5,000 does not require a public bidding process.  M/S: Ken Holman/Michael Max: That the MnSTAC membership authorize Ken Holman, on behalf of the DNR, to negotiate with Tree Trust to perform designated clerical services for MnSTAC during 2004 in an amount not to exceed $5,000.  Motion Carried.

 

Photo Contest.

Lara Newberger assembled a display board of the photographs submitted during MnSTAC’s annual Photo Contest.  This year’s theme was Illuminated Trees.  The winning photo, “The Honking Tree,” was submitted by Carly Swirtz. 

 

Farewell to Lorrie Stromme

The group thanked Lorrie Stromme for her service as MnSTAC President from 2001 through 2003, and presented her with a framed print of “The Honking Tree” and a cake with the MnSTAC logo designed in frosting. 

 

Agency/Committee/Community Reports.

·        MN DNR.   Susan Burks reported that the DNR Forest Health Section had compiled an Excel database of web addresses on forest and tree health.  It can be found at www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/index.html.  Susan also reported that the DNR is issuing a one-page fact sheet for homeowners on Gypsy Moth.

·        MN Dept of Agriculture. Peter Dziuk reported about the recent “pine cone caper,” where invasive insects have been found in imported pine cones.  The MDA is contacting retail outlets about the matter.

·        USDA Forest Service.  Lisa Burban provided copies of a reprinted Forest Service publication called The Benefits of Trees.

·        MnDOT.  Dan Gullickson reported that MnDOT’s design/build road contracts must now take into account green infrastructure and trees.

·        St. Louis Park.  Jim Vaughan said that St. Louis Park is collaborating with Hennepin County on a big Arbor Day event in late April or early May along a railroad corridor. 

·        City of Ramsey.  Bruce Bacon reported that the City of Ramsey is working with the DNR on a Firewise project.

·        Lake City.  Katie Himanga said that the MPCA reached an agreement with the developer of a 845-acre housing development (former Jewell Nursery site) that provides $100,000 for reforestation and requires 200 acres of conservation land.

 

Feature Presentation:  “A Perspective of State and National Urban Forestry Programs: Do State and Federal Urban Forestry Programs Lead to Developing Local Urban Forestry Capacity?”  Speaker: Rich Hauer, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, WI.  [one CEU applied for]

Adjournment.  M/S/Carried to adjourn: Gary R. Johnson/Kirk Brown.  The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.  Lorrie Stromme then passed the gavel to Ken Simons.