Arbor Committee

Chair Address: Mary Parenteau 12800 Arbor Lakes Pkwy Committee Members Maple Grove, MN 55369 Marilyn Arnlund Bob Henke Phone: Frank Kampel Arbor Committee Agenda 763-494-6040 Apeckchya Karki October 12, 2023 7 p.m. Rachael Lamsal Mayor’s Conference Room Website: Cody Lensing maplegrovemn.gov Darlene Lindgren Emma Molls Sarah Piket Donald Varney 1. OPENING BUSINESS A. Call to Order 2. A. Approval of Agenda B. Approval of Minutes – September 14, 2023 regular meeting 3. OLD BUSINESS A. Parking Lot Subcommittee B. Mayors Monarch Pledge C. 2023 Tree Sale D. EAB Tree Voucher Program E. Tree Planting Event 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Forest Preservation Area Buckthorn Treatment Update 5. AREA REPORTS 6. ADJOURNMENT  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Approval of agenda and minutes – agenda item 2A and 2B PREVIOUS ACTIONS: None RECOMMENDED ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION: Call by Chair ________________ for any additions or revisions to the agenda. Motion by Committee member ________________, seconded by Committee member __________________ to approve as proposed or approve as amended the agenda for the October 12, 2023 regular meeting. Motion by Committee member __________________, seconded by Committee member ______________ to approve the minutes of the September 14, 2023 regular meeting as presented or as amended. COMMENTS: Click or tap here to enter text. ATTACHMENTS:  Maple Grove Arbor Committee Regular Meeting Minutes September 14, 2023 Mayor’s Conference Room 7:00 p.m. Call to Order The regular meeting of the Arbor Committee was called to order by Chair Parenteau at 7:15 p.m. Members Present Chair Mary Parenteau, Sarah Piket, Don Varney, Darleen Lindgren, Cody Lensing, Rachael Lamsal, Emma Molls and Bob Henke Members Absent Apeckchya Karki, Marilyn Arnlund and Frank Kampel Also Present Jesse Corrow, Staff Liaison Approval of Agenda Henke added Item 4B – City Park EAB Posters to and Lensing added 3E – City Forester Update. Motion Piket, second Henke to approve the agenda for September 14, 2023. Vote all ayes. Motion passed. Approval of Minutes Motion Piket, second Henke to approve the minutes from June 8, 2023. Vote all ayes. Motion passed. Old Business Tree Planting Event/Fall Tree Corrow stated the Maple Grove Covenant Church will allow Sale/Tree Voucher Program the use of their parking lot for staging and volunteer parking. The Church has also granted permission to plant trees on a flat portion of their property. Corrow reviewed a map that showed the location of the planted trees and noted 56 total trees are planned for planting. City staff will prep the site and follow up with regular watering. The event is planned for Saturday, October 7th at 9:00 a.m. Corrow also discussed the tree order numbers, to date, for the fall tree sale and EAB voucher program, and mentioned the pick-up date for both will be on October 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Maple Grove Days Parade Committee members discussed the how popular their float Review was thanks to having a person in the Smokey Bear costume. The representation of the committee was poor, only 4 Arbor Committees members attended the parade and the  committee discussed whether it was worth continuing having a float in the parade. Molls mentioned the banner could use some additional weight to hold it down. Parking Lot Subcommittee The committee is nearly through with the landscape Update ordinance revisions and is working on incorporating certain additions from previous research. The subcommittee will need to meet a few more times before it brings its findings to the Arbor Committee and staff for review. Buckthorn Eradication Group Chair Parenteau discussed the recent buckthorn removals at Worden Park and at the arboretum. The rotary club is going to invest in planting native shrubs and plants in the arboretum specifically at the “island” created by two trails. The next buckthorn removal event will be at the Weaver Lake Park boat launch. City Forester Update A City Council work session was held on September 13, 2023 and the recommendation to create a City Forester position was authorized for the 2024 city budget. The actual budget will be approved at a future City Council meeting. New Business Mayor’s Monarch Pledge The Arbor Committee is being asked to take the lead on planning and designing a Community Demonstration Pollinator Garden within the City of Maple Grove. Committee members are asked to look for resources and research plant species, ongoing maintenance and any informational signage that may be helpful onsite. The location of the garden is yet to be determined and should be on city property at a higher traffic area. Committee members Henke, Lindgren and Molls will meet separately and then provide their findings at the regular monthly Arbor Committee meetings. Final plans will be shared with the Park Board and then a recommendation will be brought to the City Council. EAB Posters on Public Ash Informational EAB posters were placed on ash trees located Trees in city parks nearly five years ago. The posters have become weathered and the strings are becoming tight around the trees. The committee agreed to remove the signs. Area Reports Parenteau inquired about the trees planted by MNDOT around the freeway access ramps. Many of the trees have died and wondered if they will be replaced. The street cleanup on Vicksburg Lane was scheduled for October 17, 2023. Arbor Committee members will be meeting at the Basswood Elementary parking lot at 5 p.m. Adjournment Motion Piket, second Molls to adjourn the meeting at 8:29 p.m. Vote all ayes. Motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Jesse Corrow, City Planner City of Maple Grove Arbor Committee  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Parking Lot Subcommittee – agenda item 3A PREVIOUS ACTIONS: The Parking Lot Subcommittee has resumed subcommittee meetings to discuss ways to increase the survival rates of trees in parking lots. Members of the subcommittee (Arnlund, Piket, Varney) will provide an update on meetings that have taken place since the last Arbor Committee meeting. COMMENTS: None ATTACHMENTS: None  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Mayor’s Monarch Pledge - Agenda item 3B PREVIOUS ACTIONS: At their meeting on September 14, 2023, the Arbor Committee was asked to take the lead on planning and designing a Community Demonstration Pollinator Garden within the City of Maple Grove. Committee members Henke, Lindgren and Molls volunteered to begin gathering information to assist the Arbor Committee with making a future recommendation to council. COMMENTS: Committee members Henke, Lindgren and Molls will provide an update. Committee member Henke has provided the attached “road map” for the Arbor Committee to review in order to clarify the next steps. ATTACHMENTS: Monarch Garden Road Map WORKING DRAFT FOR INTERNAL USE OF THE ARBOR COMMITTEE MAPLE GROVE DEMONSTRATION MONARCH GARDEN Guidelines Projects are generally managed based on scope, schedule and budget. In our case, only scope has been given, that is, our goal, and even then, only vaguely with an assumed intent to not limit our thinking. Schedule, or our completion timeline, seems to be spring, driven by the need to procure planting stock. Finally, budget. We’ve not been given one, which gives us a lot of leeway in our thinking, but also restricts us since it needs to be approved by the council within the time limits set by the schedule. Do we present a single garden plan, or, in the interest of speeding the budget approval process, do we offer several, in a good-better-best approach, so that the council can see estimated costs and possibly give approval in a single meeting? Purpose: There are several city-owned locations within Maple Grove that would be suitable for developing butterfly/pollinator-friendly habitat on a large scale and/or utilizing natural materials such as boulders. Examples would be along bike or walking paths, such as Great River Energy has done on their property, or between paths and bodies of water, as the City of Edina has done in their Centennial Park. However, the request for a demonstration garden as laid out by the city is meant as an educational tool so homeowners can implement a garden in their own yard; something on a smaller scale and budget that could transform costly turf or marginal areas into a summer bouquet that would add beauty, a sense of calming restfulness and a refuge for our dwindling monarch butterfly population. The proposed demonstration garden will offer residents a glimpse into the possibilities in their own yard, and with enough smaller gardens across the city, the monarch would never be far from food, water and shelter. Site Selection The city has offered Central Park, Town Green, the Community Center, the Arboretum, Weaver Lake Trail and Gleason Park as potential sites for the demonstration garden. They have not given any input regarding size of the garden or budget available, suggesting they are open to any input we provide. Singular language would suggest that a single garden is inferred but may leave open the possibility of two if there is a perceived need. Each proposed site should be evaluated in terms of available space, foot traffic, visibility, ease of maintenance, soil and light conditions, and proximity to water for the pollinators. The pros and cons listed below for each are not to be assumed complete, but only to offer starting talking points. * Town Green and Central Park Offer adequate space, have higher foot traffic due to other venues located in or alongside them, would be easier for Parks to maintain, have nearby natural water sources. Could complement other existing plantings. Composition of the foot traffic may want to be considered. - • Community Center Activities associated with the Center would produce foot traffic; however, impending scheduled construction would be a major impediment over the next few years. • Arboretum/Rice Lake Trail Foot traffic on the trail is present, though more limited. Could be seen as favoring lake-bordering residents. Natural water is available, maintenance may be an issue. Space and lighting may be considerations if the garden is sited within the arboretum grounds proper. Should the Arboretum remain strictly a showcase for just trees as originally designed by the Arbor Committee, or is a monarch garden a natural extension? • Weaver Lake Offers a swimming beach, boat rentals and a concession stand which will bring visitors, but is the audience more selective than other sites? Would the nature of the activities at this site pose potential risk to the plantings? Available space and light conditions, as well as maintenance, should be considered. A natural water source is obviously available. • Gleason Park Designed as a premiere sports facility, though a playground is being included. Location favors one geographical portion of the city over others, though during sports season that audience is large and comes from communities outside of Maple Grove. Previously, the grounds had not been sodded or seeded, offering a blank slate to work with, but more recently the grass is up. This site should be easily maintained. Has good lighting, but no natural water source for pollinators. Location within a site Once a site has been chosen, it is recommended that the Arbor Committee personally walk the area to determine the best location, likely based on the same factors originally mentioned but now also to possibly include the geography of the terrain. Design of the garden Will it be some simple shape such as square or rectangular, or some geometrical design using more natural and eye appealing curved lines? Will it be planted as a formal garden, a more natural garden, or both, maybe separated by a chip path or greenway? Will it be a walk-through or peripheral garden? Do we submit a single plan, or offer three cost-based ones? Plant selection Identify plant stock sources, costs and ordering deadlines. This again seems to be where we need to consider various cost options for city approval. Will it be planted with an emphasis on just the more desirable plants as measured by the intended butterflies, or will it be more representative of most all plants associated with a monarch garden, letting homeowners pick and choose those that also appeal to them? This phase should also include the preparation of a planting blueprint of what plants, in what quantity, and in what arrangement. Creation of the garden planting site Here it’s assumed that the Arbor Committee will relay the design to Parks and Rec for the actual ground preparation. This may, and probably should, include marking the ground with stakes or paint to outline the site. It would also be wise if the date and time that the work will be done was communicated to the Arbor Committee so that committee members can be there to help provide guidance, answer questions, and be available for suggestions as the work progresses. Planting the garden Date selection based on weather and stock delivery. Will the Arbor Committee do the planting alone, or with help from Parks and Recreation staff and/or volunteers? Will a water truck and soil amenders, if needed, be available? Who will do follow-up maintenance? Signage and advertising What signage should be at the garden? Do we simply acknowledge Maple Grove’s pledge to the monarch campaign, or do we make known that state and city ordinances have changed regarding what you can have in your lawn? Can we credit the Arbor Committee with the design and construction? Should there be an on-site sign that identifies the different flowers and plants used in the garden, or would a QR code direct interested homeowners to that information via the Arbor Committee portion of the city website? Should there be an informational sign on the importance of homeowner gardens considering the drastic decline in monarch numbers due to declining habitat?  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: June 8, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Tree Planting Event - Agenda Item 3C PREVIOUS ACTIONS: At their meeting on September 14, 2023, committee members discussed planning for this year’s tree planting event. COMMENTS: Arbor Committee members are encouraged to discuss the tree planting event that took place on Saturday October 7, 2023. Hopefully there will be pictures of the event to share. ATTACHMENTS:  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Fall Tree Sale Update - Agenda Item 3D PREVIOUS ACTIONS: None RECOMMENDED ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION: Click or tap here to enter text. COMMENTS: Below is a tally of the trees that were ordered. 115 trees were ordered this year compared to the 83 trees that were ordered in 2022, and 74 trees ordered in 2021. The ordering period has closed and the tree pick up date is scheduled for Saturday, October 13th from 8 – 10 a.m. Trees Species Trees Ordered Available Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple 20 20 Norway Spruce 9 10 Heritage River Birch 4 10 Parkland Pillar Birch 17 25 Skyline Locust 4 5 Swamp White Oak 10 10 Greenspire Linden 15 15 White Pine 3 10 Limelight Hydrangea Tree 20 20 Sweet 16 Apple 5 15 Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry 5 5 Grand Total 115 Trees  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: EAB Tree Voucher Update - Agenda Item 3E PREVIOUS ACTIONS: Following the creation of a companion program to the EAB management plan, staff mailed out tree vouchers to over 200 residents who have lost a boulevard tree in recent years. RECOMMENDED ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION: None COMMENTS: Below is a tally of the trees that were ordered as part of the first annual EAB Tree Voucher program. Residents who did not take advantage of the voucher program this year, will receive another voucher next year as part of the 2024 mailing. The ordering period has closed and the tree pick up date is scheduled for Saturday, October 13th from 8 – 10 a.m. Trees Species Trees Ordered Available Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple 24 30 River Birch Clump 8 20 Skyline Locust 5 10 Swamp White Oak 0 15 Norther Red Oak 8 15 Greenspire Linden 15 15 Boulevard Linden 5 10 Esspresso Coffee Tree 2 10 Hackberry 3 10 Grand Total 70 Trees  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Ed’s Buckthorn Control – Agenda Item 4B PREVIOUS ACTIONS: The Arbor Committee requested an update of the buckthorn treatment that occurred in the Forest Preservation Area. RECOMMENDED ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION: Click or tap here to enter text. COMMENTS: Ed Mallam from Ed’s Buckthorn Removal informed staff that they have some follow-up spraying taking place in the month of October to finish up work for 2022-23. The reason they held off so long is they didn’t want their spraying to impact the native vegetation in the Forest Preservation Area. Plans are to continue mitigating buckthorn in 2023-24. He will provide a written update and proposal once they are done with their work in October. Attached is last year’s treatment plan provided by Ed’s Buckthorn and pictures of some of the work they did in the past year. ATTACHMENTS: Treatment Proposal FPA pictures  14702 Excelsior Boulevard | #1245 | Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345 6125645771 | info@edsbuckthorn.com | edsbuckthorncontrol.com RECIPIENT: Estimate #393 City of Maple Grove Sent on May 24, 2022 Vicksburg Lane North Maple Grove, Minnesota Total $36,805.81 PRODUCT / SERVICE DESCRIPTION QTY. UNIT TOTAL PRICE Invasive Species Fall/Winter 2022: 1 $12,480.00 $12,480.00 Management When ground is frozen, forestry mow buckthorn in mapped locations. Crew on foot to cut invasive trees too close to keeper trees. Instead of stump treatment, allow to resprout for later foliar treatment. See green area on map. Invasive Species Fall/Winter 2022: 1 $13,250.00 $13,250.00 Management Labor for work on foot in areas inaccessible to the forestry mower, and sensitive areas where native plants are to be saved. Stump treatment with wetland-friendly herbicide to prevent resprouts. Some brush may be used to prevent erosion on the slopes, some may be mulched, and some may be left in burn piles. See green area on map. Spot Spray Weeds Spring 2023: 1 $1,450.00 $1,450.00 Spot spray for garlic mustard, motherwort, burdock, and other invasive weeds in grassy area SE part of the project area. Backpack sprayers with wand for precise application. Workers are experts at identifying our target species and all are licensed herbicide applicators. See red spot spray area on map. Buckthorn Maintenance - Summer 2023: 1 $7,050.00 $7,050.00 Foliar Herbicide Application Apply bud inhibitor herbicide to control small and sprouted buckthorn via ATV for broadcast areas, backpack sprayer with wand for precise application in more sensitive areas with woody native species we want to protect. Wetland- approved herbicide used. Workers are experts at identifying our target species and licensed herbicide applicators. Using a bud inhibitor means that the target species will remain healthy the rest of the year, but will not leaf out the next spring. Includes cost of herbicide. 1 of 2 pages  14702 Excelsior Boulevard | #1245 | Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345 6125645771 | info@edsbuckthorn.com | edsbuckthorncontrol.com Subtotal $34,230.00 Kelly & City of Maple Grove, Minnesota, 80004 $171.15 Thank you for giving us the opportunity to bid for this project. It is a very special District (0.5%) preserve, and a worthy site for maintenance and restoration. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Maple Grove has a pristine Big Woods Minnesota, $51.35 forest, especially since I grew up in Maple Grove and graduated from MGSH! Hennepin County This proposal is for bulk treatment for the areas of the parcel that are the most (0.15%) infested with noxious invasive species, primarily common buckthorn. Please see the attached proposed work map. The green areas closer to Vicksburg have big Minnesota State $2,353.31 mature buckthorn. The areas farther west have been cut before, but the stumps were allowed to resprout, and new buckthorn has come up from seed. (6.875%) We guarantee that all of the buckthorn we forestry mow will be allowed to resprout and then be killed by foliar treatments. Any buckthorn we cut with saws will be Total $36,805.81 stump treated at the time of cutting, and will not resprout. Since we did not discuss budget, we focused on the areas that need immediate attention. If you want to increase or decrease the amount of work performed, there is plenty of room to do either. Please see attachment "Increase-Decrease." For example, to decrease the workload, we could cut buckthorn only on the 4 acres that have the worst resprouts and the most mature buckthorn (purple). On the other hand, If you would like to add work, we could comb through the entire degraded woodland, in addition to the work prescribed in this proposal (green.) Please let me know what you think and ask questions as they arise. Thank you! Ed Mallam Founder Ed's Buckthorn Control This quote is valid for the next 30 days, after which values may be subject to change. 2 of 2 pages FPA Before FPA After FPA Other FPA Other  REQUEST FOR ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION MEETING DATE: October 12, 2023 PREPARED BY: Jesse Corrow, City Planner AGENDA ITEM: Area reports – agenda item 5 PREVIOUS ACTIONS: None RECOMMENDED ARBOR COMMITTEE ACTION: The area reports section of the agenda provides an opportunity for any Committee member to report any item in the city that needs staff attention. Arbor related items will be forwarded to the appropriate staff member with a response provided at the next meeting. COMMENTS: • The street cleanup on Vicksburg Lane is scheduled for October 17, 2023. Arbor Committee members will be meeting at the Basswood Elementary parking lot at 5 p.m. ATTACHMENTS: None