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wraps around the trees to try to get people to identify Ash trees in their yards and <br />understand what is going to happen. He noted there have also been articles put in <br />the newsletter as a part of awareness. He explained currently the City does not have <br />any public assistance for that. He thought the awareness was good and the <br />educational piece will continue to accelerate and is important but beyond that they <br />have not been able to help financially with that. <br />Member Spencer indicated one thing for him, and he has not read up on it, but is <br />there any indication that the Emerald Ash Borer is jumping species of trees or is it <br />strictly the Ash tree that it is contained to. <br />Mr. Taylor explained the City is not seeing anything like that in the City. He noted <br />he has not seen any research data on that as well, but staff will certainly keep an <br />eye on it as they go. <br />Vice Chair Ficek indicated he was curious about the treatment itself and what the <br />City is doing as well as if it has any impact on the death curve. Is it treating the <br />trees and pushing the death out by a number of years. <br />Mr. Taylor reviewed the treatment schedule with the Commission. <br />Vice Chair Ficek asked if the City is continuing with treatment in some areas. <br />Mr. Taylor indicated they were and did treat forty some trees. This is a two-year <br />treatment. He noted the City is starting to whittle that number down due to the <br />buddy tree plantings. There is still treatment as a part of the RFP process to <br />continue to do some of the treatments while buddy trees are planted in those areas. <br />Chair Wozniak asked about the species used to replace the Ash trees and wondered <br />if climate change has altered the choices that staff has in front of them. He thought <br />they are seeing a warmer, dryer climate and at least some people are predicting that <br />this area will basically transition slowly to a grassland eco-system over the next <br />fifty years. He wondered how that affects the type of trees they are choosing to <br />replace the ash trees with. <br />Mr. Taylor indicated it has not affected the type of tree plantings yet and they have <br />actually expanded the list a little bit more because they have had good luck with <br />some newer species of trees. <br />Chair Wozniak asked who makes the approved species tree list. <br />Mr. Taylor explained they work with the DNR as well as the City does its own <br />research on the approve species tree list. <br />Chair Wozniak thanked Mr. Taylor and Mr. Johnson for the presentation. <br />Page 4 of 6 <br />