Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee

Monthly Meeting Minutes

Minnesota Department of Agriculture

90 West Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN

July 15th, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 

 

ATTENDANCE

Anderson, Chris

Cordes, Jeff

Cervenka, Val

Edwardson, Paul

Goltry, Steve

Hanson, Dave

Himanga, Katie

Holman, Ken

Jenkins, Brooke

Kytonen, Kameron

Larson, Janet

McCartney, Sandy

Nicholson, Stephen

Shimek, Steven

Simons, Ken

VanWieren, Rebekah

Vaughan, Jim

Walvatne, Paul

Call to Order. The program was started by President Ken Simons @ 9:40 A.M. A meeting quorum was not met, so nominations for membership and approval of the June 17th, 2004 meeting minutes could not be passed.

 

AGENCY UPDATES:

MnDNR

Ken Holman announced two new publications, Minnesota Native Big Tree Registry and the May-June 2004 issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, which has a great article about rain gardens.

 

Natural resource composite maps have been completed for all ReLeaf grantees and will be mailed out in the next couple weeks. These maps will be used for reporting project information and a great tool for natural resource based community planning.

 

MDA

Steve Shimek announced that a red oak in New York was found with Sudden Oak Death. SOD has not been found the Midwest. The MDA did find an exotic beetle in Minnesota that may be a vector of DED.

 

MnDOT

Paul Walvatne reminded members of the MnDOT policy for removing DED infected trees. MnDOT relies on the local programs to do the initial marking of infected trees on MnDOT property and then MnDOT will remove them. So, local programs need to be sure to mark also on MnDOT property when they are doing routine marking on city property. To give your feedback on the MnDOT DED program contact:

            Bob Rick, Maintenance Supervisor, Metro region – 651.775.0369

            Dan Guleckson, Maintenance Supervisor, Statewide – 612-280-4546

 

MnDOT is currently revising their Standard Specifications for Construction, which includes specs on wood disposal, tree planting, stock inspection, etc. Go to http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tecsup/spec/index.html. Contact Paul Walvatne with your comments.

 

Paul Walvatne also noted that the MnDOT and MnDNR commissioners will write a joint report on state-wide mowing practices that will be finished in January 2005.

 

University of Minnesota

Dave Hanson reminded members that the MnSTAC meeting on August 19 will be held at the TRE Nursery on the St. Paul campus. Go to www.mnstac.org for a map.

 

Tree Trust

Rebekah VanWieren announced that Tree Trust & Northside Residents Redevelopment Council will be having a kick-off event on Saturday, July 17, 10 a.m.-noon, for the revitalization project along Plymouth Avenue. The event will be at the Karamu Neighborhood Market (behind the Urban League), 1312 Penn Ave, Minneapolis.

 

Tree Trust is looking for volunteers for a national tree inventory study called iTREE. There will be an informational open house on July 22nd, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at North Mississippi Regional Park. For more information contact Gail Nozal at Tree Trust at 651-644-5800 or gailn@treetrust.org.

 

CITY REPORTS:

Members reported on the current DED situation, recent projects and other updates in St. Louis Park, Bloomington, Andover, Ramsey and Eden Prairie. Comments included:

o        St. Louis Park will be having an interview with Fox 9 regarding DED

o        DED incidence has increased this year in Evanston, IL as well

o        St. Paul District Energy can be an option for wood disposal. Contact Mike Marsollek, Engineer at District Energy 651-290-2812.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Board of Directors

Ken Simons presented an alternative MnSTAC Quarterly Meeting Schedule (see handout) to the current monthly meeting schedule. General meetings would be held in March, June, September and December, along with some additional meetings including the MnSTAC Awards Banquet and other field trips or forums. Members were asked to comment on the proposed schedule changes. Comments included:

  • There could be optional workshops in between the quarterly meetings on different topics and different locations
  • Rotate meeting locations
  • The proposed plan shows June as presenting the “State of the Urban Forest”. Ken Holman noted that this is usually the topic of the December meeting, so the June meeting could be eliminated.
  • Present the MnSTAC awards in the actual awarded community/city
  • The concern was expressed that some members come to the monthly meetings primarily for the main speakers and to know what is current, so would those people come to quarterly meetings if the meetings were just logistics?

 

ADJURNMENT:

Meeting was adjourned at 11:37.