Monthly Meeting Minutes
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
ATTENDANCE:
Barbeau, Emily
Bass, Jason Stratapoint Inc.
Booth, Peggy MN DNR - Forestry Division
Brown, Kirk Tree Trust
Buck, Paul City of
Burks, Sue MN DNR Metro Forestry
Cervenka, Val MN Department of Agriculture
Cordes, Jeff City of
Domholt, Paul
Gillman, Jeffrey
Hanson, Dave
Hermann, James
Himanga, Katie Heartwood Forestry
Holman, Ken MN DNR Metro Forestry
Larson, Janet Private Consultant
Max, Michael EnvionMentor Systems
McCartney,
McMurry, Pam
Monear, Janette Tree Trust
Mueller, Don MN DNR Metro Forestry
Newberger, Lara City of
Nicholson, Stephen Kunde Company Inc.
Nozal, Gail Tree Trust
Schnobrich, Mark City of
Shimek, Steven MN Department of Agriculture
Sievert, Ralph
Simons, Ken Heritage Tree
Smith, Kevin City of
Spears, Barb Tree Trust
Stromme, Lorrie
Sullivan, Kim
Sundmark, Dave City of
VanWieren, Rebekah Tree Trust
Walvatne, Paul MN DOT Office of Environ. Services
Weicherding, Patrick
Widin, Katharine Plant Health Associates, Inc.
Willeke, Donald Chair, National Urban Forest Council
Wriskey, Rick City of New Brighton /
Mounds View
BUSINESS SECTION:
President Simons called the meeting to order at
Introductions and Nomination Of New
Members
No nominations. Ken
Simons recognized Don Willeke and Lorrie Stromme as attending.
Mike Max made the motion to approve the minutes and Jeff Cordes seconded the motion. No corrections made. Motion passed.
Committee & Partner Reports
Election of two “non-designated” Directors. Kirk Brown moved, that since there are only two candidates, the non-designated members present at this meeting cast a confirming unanimous vote for Steve Nicholson and Michael Max to serve as members of the MnSTAC Board of Directors for the 2005-2006 two-year term of office, seconded by Paul Buck. Motion carried.
Kirk Brown moved, that since there is only one candidate, the MnSTAC members present at this meeting cast a unanimous verbal ballot electing Michael Max to serve as Vice President for the 2005 one-year term of office, seconded by Janette Monear. Motioned carried.
Congratulations to Michael Max and Steve Nicholson!
Michael Max made a motion to recognize the important contributions of Fletcher Johnson as a member of the Board of Directors, seconded by Kirk Brown. Motion carried.
Publicity and Awards Committee
Lara Newberger reported that MnSTAC’s 30th
anniversary was recently celebrated by giving prints to 30 MnSTAC members for
their outstanding contributions. Shade Tree Advocate window clings and mugs
were shown and made available. Copies of
the “Awards Nomination Form For 2004 Community
Forestry Endeavors” were made available with nominations due
Ken Simons presented Tom Berg, past State Legislator who supported the first bill written for DED funding in the 1970’s, with a print, mug and window cling in honor of MnSTAC’s 30-year anniversary and for his contributions to urban and community forestry. Tom is currently involved in reforestation efforts along the north shore.
Janette Monear reported on current activities. Advocacy is critical. MnSTAC must get mobilized and mobilize
constituents and others. MnSTAC members
are asked to participate in a number of ways, such as providing letters of
support. There is a lot happening and
quick action may be required. Ken Holman
offered that the legislature usually deals with bonding in an “off” year, but
because this was not completed last year, bonding is on a fast track this year. Janette provided a handout with the following
information:
The deadline for this corresponds with a broader initiative
to get statewide support for community tree programs. The broader initiative includes efforts by
Jon Olson, MPRB and Peter McLaughlin, Hennepin County Commissioner to introduce
a bonding bill authored by Representative Ron Erhardt, (R -Edina) and Senator
Linda Higgins – (DFL-Minneapolis). The
content of the report would sound the alarm for the disease and insect problems
that exist, which includes DED, emerald ash borer and oak wilt (and others
issues as defined by an upcoming survey to communities statewide). It would bridge the urban forest to the rural
forests to show how each affects and is affected by the other and a call to
action to support the bonding bill. The
bonding bill will be introduced at the beginning of the session – early to mid
January.
Susan Burks has agreed to work with the Legislative
Committee to re-do the initial survey she did and expand it to include the
needs of the communities. League of
Minnesota Cities has agreed to send this out through their network. The importance is to gather additional
information and statistics to help support the bonding bill and identify
community needs and project costs for a statewide initiative. We are hoping that we can get the survey out
by December 28th with returns back by mid-January.
We will be asking Hennepin County Commissioner McLaughlin to
help garner support from the county commissioners in the 7-county Metro
Area. Whether through a resolution to
the state or other identified support this will help to show the need for
community assistance.
We are looking at ways for MnSTAC members and their networks to advocate for the bonding bill. We have considered some type of a fundraiser to help with this as well as organizing a “Day at the Capital.” Letter writing campaign and local community support from City Councils, organizations etc. are also being considered.
Kirk Pederson, MPRB Lobbyist, is writing the bill to be introduced early in the session. We will work with him to provide research, supporting documentation and advocacy. The bill would be similar to that written in the early 70’s and would support grants to communities for inventory/identification, removal, sanitation, replanting. Because the state deficit is so large it is unreasonable to consider emergency funding and the bonding opportunity is the best at this point in time. We do not want to loose the LCMR ReLeaf funding and we are hopeful that an annual line item is created in the State budget to support community forestry initiatives.
The next Legislative Committee meeting will be on December
29th,
Janette offered several other considerations: DED outbreaks bring in Federal funding. Farm Bill funding is decreasing--we’re losing
ground in U&CF funding, so must get support at the state level. See the article in upcoming Shade Tree
Advocate. The Committee is also
considering a fundraising event such as a “tree ball” that would also serve as
and education/outreach opportunity. With the recent bill making the Oak the National Tree, real
opportunity to connect this with OW and other health issues. Contact Janette or Lorrie Stromme with any
questions or concerns.
Janette Monear reported on and provided a handout regarding
the Minnesota Forest Resources Council (MFRC) Metro Area Landscape Planning
effort. The MFRC has divided the state
into 8 landscape regions. Landscape
plans have been completed or will soon be completed for 6 of these regions, and
the 7-county Metro Area region is being considered. MFRC is reluctant to support this effort
primarily due to “opportunity cost” concerns and a lack of understanding on the
part of some of the Council members of how a Metro Area landscape plan is
relevant to MFRC’s mission and state-wide forestry efforts in general.
Tree Trust is creating a PowerPoint presentation on the
benefits of trees and urban and community forestry to be given at the next MFRC
Landscape Committee on Jan. 4. This
presentation will bridge the gap between urban and community forestry and rural
forestry and its importance on a statewide level. The next step would be to give this same
presentation to the full Council on January 19th to garner Council
support for this planning effort.
Tree Trust, working with MnSTAC, will be the convener of
this planning effort to create partnerships and education outreach to help
strategically introduce and implement the plan.
MnSTAC would serve as a key advocate.
MnSTAC should establish a task force to determine how to work on this.
This initiative is very timely as there are implications for
the bonding bill and will be included in the MnSTAC Legislative Report if MFRC
says no.
Janette will be speaking at 3 upcoming national conferences
on the topic of sustainable urban forestry as a member of a 3-person
panel. In preparation for these
conferences, Janette will be asking for information from MnSTAC members. Also, Janette is working on a certification
awards program for communities that will be launched in the near future.
Kathy Widin reported that Sue Burks will be the featured
speaker at the March MnSTAC meeting and will provide an update on DED, OW, a
DED Survey, and OW funding. The next
meeting of the Forest Health Committee is April 5 at Tree Trust. Kathy serves as a representative on MN
Invasive Species Advisory Council. She
shared a copy of a calendar on invasive species with a different species per
month. Of the 12 months, MnSTAC deals
directly with 5 of them. May reprint if more are requested.
Katie Himanga reported that she will facilitate a forum on
tree protection at the January MnSTAC meeting.
Katie asked for attendees to come prepared to share ideas and concerns
regarding the urban interface, specifically relating to tree preservation ordinances. Share a success (or not) story and bring
copies of an ordinance. She will also
give a brief presentation on the “Growing Greener Cities” conference she
recently attended at the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Paul Walvatne reported on and provided a handout regarding
the results of the “Mn/DOT survey of DED Programs” updated as of
The Mn/DOT Certified Landscape Specialist Courses for 2005 handout was made available. This information can also be found on-line at www.dot.state.mn.us/const/tcp/landscape.html.
FORUM:
Speaker: Jeff Gillman,
Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science at the U of MN. Presentation:
“So How Well Do Those Gardening Aids Really Work?” or “How I Spent Last
Summer.”
Jeff recently conducted research on home-concocted plant
remedies and has developed some “wacky garden guru” advice. He conducted research on a variety of
recommendations and products and wrote a popular book about the research titled
“The Gardeners Guide to Sound Practice and Snake Oil.” The book is not yet published (Timber Press)
but should be available sometime in 2005.
The following is a list of his research categories and the
specific products/techniques researched:
1) Fertilizers and amendments (ammonia, beer and soda pop, vinegar,
buttermilk, gypsum, Epsom salts); 2) Water (antitranspirants, gravel at base of
container, planting too deep, hydrogels); 3) Biostimulants (IBA, Vitamin B-1,
Sound, Humic Acid, Seaweed Extract); 4) Insectides (Forsyths composition,
tobacco, garlic, hot peppers); 5) Disease control (compost tea, baking soda,
horsetail soup mouthwash, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar); 6) Herbicides (vinegar,
corn gluten meal, Brussels sprouts, mulch); and, 7) Others (egg shells as slug
fencing, beer for slug control, deer repellants, tree wrap, pruning tar).
None offered.
Special Guests
Ralph Sievert introduced special guests Jon Olson, MPRB
Commissioner for District 2; Mike Schmidt, MPRB Assistant Superintendent; and
Kirk Pederson, MPRB lobbyist.
Commissioner Olson reported that he has been working to
secure DED funding. Original language
from the 1970’s is still in effect and he has been meeting with legislators,
including the Speaker of the House, to re-fund this program. He has asked for bonding bill consideration with
the argument that this is a capital investment when considering the dollar
amount, the work involved and the investment in the future. He is educating legislators on EAB and the
potential impact this pest will have when it reaches
Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn was made by Michael Max, seconded by
Steve Nicholson. Unanimously passed at