Shade Tree Management Board

Shade Tree Management Board Madison, NJ 07940 Minutes of September 16, 2021 The Shade Tree Management Board held its regular meeting at 8:00AM on Thursday, September 16, 2021 in the Borough Zoom meeting room. Call to Order by Chairman Gene Cracovia. Reading of the Sunshine Law. Members present: Gene Cracovia, Judy Honohan, Brian Monaghan, Vince Licari, Kate Bartley, Stephen Miller, Nancy Bruce Members absent, Tom Salaki, Alan Andreas Liaisons present: Joan Maccari (MEC), Chris Schorr (Friends of Madison Shade Trees), Ken O’Brien and Bob Duffy (DPW), Rich Wolowicz (Arborist), John Hoover (Council), Michael Pelessier (Communications), Maddy ? (Arborist intern) Liaisons absent: Bridget Daley (Parks), Lisa Ellis (Borough) Minutes: August 2021 minutes approved as submitted. Public Contacts/Correspondence: There were 16 work requests in August involving 31 trees. Eight will be removed, ten pruned, eight require no work and five were misc. There were eleven private tree permit requests in August. Seventy-four trees were involved (65 at Drew University where dead trees were removed prior to the permit request. Many of the Drew trees appear to have died “young” from lack of nutrients, too much lawn and open space.) Four of the non-Drew trees must be replaced. DPW is fielding calls about the invasive ailanthus trees (spotted lantern fly host). Ailanthus on public property should be surveyed and a plan made to deal with them. The fly does not kill the tree, but sooty mold grows at the base on the honeydew deposit from the larva. On fruits the mold spoils the fruit. A dangerous private tree at 69 Greenwood has been removed. Another at 21 Belmont has been identified. Hurricane Ida caused no reported damage to public trees. Council Liaison: Construction of Affordable Housing on Walnut and Community Place was approved. Public Planting: Fall 2021 planting mark-outs will be completed this week (14 trees). Spring 2022 letters will go to residents this fall. Summerhill Survey: Survey is complete, and data entered into ArborPro. The survey included: 683 trees throughout the park, 24 (15 in trails, 9 in grassy areas) marked with orange ribbon to be removed. All ashes, some as large as 30” DBH, show decline. The dead ashes were marked for removal. Cost of removals by Honor Tree will be covered by STMB. A final report is being compiled on ArborPro. Parks Committee would like to coordinate with STMB to find solutions where needed in all parks. Memorial Park is a candidate for a survey in 2022. TCC (Technical Coordinating Committee: Two cases are pending, no specifics provided. Drew Forest Preservation: Drew is developing a plan of areas to be sold vs not sold. Drew’s goal is to get fair market price dependent on zoning. The Preserve the Drew Forest petition has 9000 signatures to date. NJ Community Forestry/NJ ShadeTree Federation: Rich and Maddy are attending the October 21,22 conference in Cherry Hill. Arboretum Tree Conference on Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23 offers CEUs. STMB must meet the annual CEU requirement and Gene encouraged participation (paid by borough). Financial Report: September 16, 2021 2021 Budget $154,500.00 Expenditures- Honor Tree $4,748.50 $10,422.46 Plant Detectives $3,150.00 Richview $2,523.96 Total expended YTD $51,645.34 Encumbered $71,134.66 Unexpended $102,854.66 Remaining Balance $31,720.00 Parks Advisory Committee: No report Friends of Madison Shade Trees (FMST Chris Schorr): Will share a table at Bottle Hill Day with STMB and Parks. All activities will be centered on children and volunteers are needed. MEC: Highly successful garden tour with information on tree maturation rates, native plantings, sustainable care, free seeds, etc. Open Space: No meeting in August Sustainable Madison: Paper shredding component was resubmitted. Revised document has been submitted for review. Third and final submission is in November. Garden Club: In 2022 celebrating 100 years in Madison and looking for a project. Possibilities include reworking the rose garden, planting a large tree with under plantings in Summerhill Park, putting a specimen tree on the upslope of the MRC meadow. Action Items: Rich: Compare permit requests from 2020 to those in 2021. Talk to Drew regarding tree nutrient needs, fertilization and ailanthus tree survey. Send tree removal work order to Honor Tree for Summerhill. Rich, Vince, Gene: Write letter to Drew regarding fertilizing existing trees.  Judy: Send fall planting addresses to Bob Duffy at DPW Gene, Judy: Edit letter to residents regarding spring 2022 street tree planting. ALL: Look for ailanthus trees in public spaces and send site info to Gene and Parks. Submitted by Judy Honohan