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lt <br /> EN HILLS <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> DATE: May 21, 2012 <br /> TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br /> Patrick Klaers, City Administrator <br /> CC: Terry Maurer, Public Works Director <br /> FROM: Michelle Olson, Parks and Recreation Manager -MO <br /> SUBJECT: Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan Discussion <br /> Background <br /> Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive beetle that kills ash trees, was discovered in St. <br /> Paul in the spring of 2009 and Shoreview in the summer of 2011. Previous infestations of <br /> EAB have shown that the beetles will move out at a rate of one to two miles per year. At <br /> that rate, the entire county will be infested in approximately 10 to 15 years. The City of <br /> Arden Hills has begun the process to establish an Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan. <br /> Two steps that the City needed to complete before a management plan could be established <br /> were revisions to the right of way ordinance and a tree inventory. The right of way <br /> ordinance revisions were completed in November of 2011 and the tree inventory was <br /> substantially completed in summer of 2011. The "Simple Tree" software is in final <br /> testing and will be complete by the end of June. The parks and trails tree inventory needs <br /> to be completed this summer. The City staff has completed an inventory of all ash trees in <br /> the maintained areas of our parks. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources <br /> completed a tree survey in 2010 (Attachment A). It is estimated that as much as 12.3% of <br /> Arden Hills' urban forest is compiled of ash trees. <br /> Discussion <br /> The purpose of implementing a management plan is to attempt to mitigate the disruption to <br /> the City's urban forest caused by the infestation of the EAB. Taking a proactive approach <br /> to the potential infestation enables the City to address both public and private impacts in an <br /> efficient and effective manner. A draft EAB Management Plan is included for Council <br /> review (Attachment B). Staff researched the management plans established by the <br /> surrounding Cities. Below are several elements regarding the draft plan that staff would <br /> like Council input on: <br /> IlMetro-inet.uslardenhillslPR&PWIParkslMemosICouncil MemosW5212012 EABplan.doc <br />