Board Members Present: Kirk Brown, Ken Holman, Gary Johnson, Lorrie Stromme, Jim Hermann, Michael Max, Kathy Widin

Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by President Lorrie Stromme, on April 18, 2002, at the Minnesota State Horticultural Society's Center for Northern Gardening in Falcon Heights, MN. 

Approval of Minutes. The Minutes of the 3-28-2002 membership meeting were reviewed. Motion/Second: Michael Max/Mike Zins. Approved. 

Introductions: 
Gary Johnson introduced Dave Hanson, the new urban forestry Research Specialist at the University of Minnesota. Dave has degrees in computer science and natural resources. He started his new position on April 15th. (Welcome, Dave!) Motion/Second: Gary Johnson/Mark Stennes: Motion to welcome Dave Hanson as a new member of MnSTAC. Approved. 

Announcements: 
Lorrie Stromme announced that the next MnSTAC meeting would take place on Thursday, May 16, 2002, at the historic Oliver Kelley Farm off Highway 10 near Elk River, Minnesota. The program will be a discussion of a collaborative project involving Kelley Farm, Kunde Company, Community Forestry Resource Center, Burce Bacon, and Tim Edgeton. The project involves the certification of Kelley Farm's 60 acres of woodlands under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) program of forest certification. A panel of speakers will discuss Kelley Farm's land management plan and the criteria for FSC certification. Members are invited to stay after the meeting for an optional guided tour of the farm and woodlands. 

Lorrie Stromme also announced that Janet Larson, MnSTAC member, had a very good article on buckthorn in the April issue of The Northern Gardener magazine. Copies of the magazine are available at the front desk in the Center for Northern Gardening. 

Kirk Brown distributed free copies of Tree Trust's Community Tree Planting Guide, which Kirk described as the "Betty Crocker of tree-planting information." 

Ken Holman announced that DNR's recent "Trees and Storm Damage" conference in NW Minnesota was well attended. 

Mike Zins announced that a "Restoration" conference will be held on October 2, 2002, at the Arboretum. It is a follow-up to the 2001 Buckthorn conference. It will deal with restoring the landscape after the removal of invasive plant species.

Agency/Field Reports:
Jenny Juzwik, USDA Forest Service Research (aka "the Oak Wilt Goddess") reported that the "no prune" period for oaks officially started. The Forest Service is recommending that no pruning be done in April, May, and June, rather than announcing specific start and end dates, in order to avoid public confusion. Notices will posted on the MnSTAC, MSA, USDA Forest Service, and U of MN Extension Forestry web sites.

Katie Himanga announced that the SE STAC has been meeting. Ken Holman gave a presentation on MSA's video, "Presenting Stem Girdling Roots." The SE STAC is planning a one-day tour of Quarry Hill Park in Rochester (buckthorn removal) and a presentation on tree-sidewalk conflicts. 

Ken Holman, MnDNR, reported that the DNR awarded close to $400,000 for oak wilt grants. Grant applications for the next round of grants are due by June 10, 2002. Ken also reported that the contract for the editor of the Shade Tree Advocate has been finalized. 

Tina Klein, MnDOT, reported that MnDOT has Arbor Day projects planned in St. Paul and Herman, Minnesota. 

Feature Presentation:
 "Preventing Stem-Girdling Roots" Video, an arborist partnership with the nursery and landscape industry. Mark Stennes, Top Notch Tree Care, presenter. Mark Stennes gave the history of the making of the "Preventing Stem-Girdling Roots" video, which was sponsored by the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (MSA). As the nursery and landscape industry became more aware of SGR's in nursery stock, the requested a training video for their workers. In 2001, Mark Stennes, in his role as MSA president, raised funds for the video production, arranged for the video taping, and oversaw its production, including a version in Spanish. Mark praised it as a collaborative effort between the green industry and arborists to demonstrate proper tree-growing and tree-planting practices. Mark played the18-minute video to an impressed audience. The video is currently being distributed through the Minnesota Nursery Landscape Association (MNLA) at 651-633-4987 or via order forms available from Mark. MnSTAC members are encouraged to pass along their ideas for marketing the video to Mark at treespeak@aol.com .

Arbor Day Activities: 
Members shared the arbor day activities planned in their respective communities (Minneapolis, Andover, New Hope, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, Columbus Township, Ham Lake, White Bear Lake, Houston). 

Adjournment. Motion/Second: Kirk Brown/Mike Zins. Approved. The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m. 

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