Tree Board

Montpelier Tree Board Minutes November 6, 2014 5:30-6:50 pm Montpelier City Hall In attendance: John Snell, Abby Colihan, Jeff Schumann, Sarah Hoffmeier, John Akielaszek, Geoff Beyer, and volunteer Ken Libertoff. Also attending: Richard Sheir and Amy Nixon (Times-Argus). New Business: Decorating Downtown Trees Mr. Sheir attended the meeting to request that the Tree Board allow ornaments and/or ribbons to be hung on downtown trees. He indicated that no recently replaced trees would have ornaments or ribbons added. His opinion was that putting decorations on the trees would spruce up the streets for the holidays and there was no scientific evidence regarding damage to the trees from this activity. He also questioned the planting of trees on State Street because of the proximity to traffic and other stressors such as road salt and dog urine. John S countered that store owners are welcome to place ornaments on the metal guards surrounding the trees but based on his experience handling tree branches to attach ornaments will cause damage to these trees which, as Mr. Sheir noted, are already stressed. Abby also noted that ornaments and ribbons might encourage people to touch the trees even more and children might hang on the limbs and damage the trees. John S indicated that if the matter was brought before the City Council he would represent the Tree Board in the matter. Private Property Ash Survey John A provided a briefing on the preliminary findings of the ash survey on private property which was completed on October 31, 2014. 97 parcels in all were surveyed with ash trees found on almost half of the parcels less than 10 acres. The two parcels greater than 10 acres had very many ash trees with 157 on one and 143 on the other. For the smaller parcels, there was an average of about 7 ash trees on each parcel with the tree sizes most commonly in the 7” – 12” and 13” – 18” categories. John has selected some literature to send out to the landowners with ash on their property but probably will not do the mailing until the leaf-out period in the Spring of 2015. Recent Tree Plantings Downtown Geoff reported that a red oak was planted on East State Street near Labrioche and honey locust tree was planted on State Street near TD Bank. One more honey locust tree may be planted near the Black Door. It was noted that the honey locust tree near Bagitos was showing some unusual scale symptoms even through it appeared healthy earlier. Pruning and Removing of Large Trees Geoff reported that there has been little pruning done to date although the time of year when he does his pruning is approaching. Two trees were removed from the Berlin Pond area. John S informed him that the large maple on the hillside behind Union Elementary School is shedding branches and declining fast so it will need to be addressed. Inventory of Nursery Stock Jeff reported that 6 weeks ago all damaged trees were identified and removed. He has started identifying and tagging the remaining trees and has so far identified 43 in all with most suitable for transplanting. No additions to the nursery are recommended at this time. There are 6-7 trees in a larger category which could possibly be transplanted in the Spring; one location would be the Union Elementary School. There is a plan to protect nursery trees from mice by installing trunk guards. Geoff reported that the burning bushes at the library have been removed. A program to exchange high bush blueberries for burning bushes has been contemplated. Geoff also reported that the Community Garden folks might want some additional area near their garden. It was agreed that 10 rows was more than enough for the nursery so there were some rows available for them (they want to plant trees). Jeff cautioned that since this was North Branch Nature Center land they should be consulted before any changes are made. Tree Stewards Conference Geoff reported on the new I Pad inventory software that Elise Schadler (UVM Extension) demonstrated to him at the Conference. He may ask UVM Extension to come to Montpelier for a trial use. They have assisted other communities. Other highlights: Sandy Wilmot VT FPR VT growing season has lengthened 2 weeks over the past 40 years and most of VT in Zone 5 Strategy: Diversify; build resistant stands in areas favored by the tree species and use a complex diverse age structure also Mark Duntemann Ash planted in Chicago area to replace dutch elms; EAB cost calculator has a bias towards treatment; actual cost of removal is $10.77 per inch for Oak Park IL; so decision to treat is more a management decision rather than an economic one; plan for wood utilization: furniture, pallets, flooring; requires a licensed arborist for chemical treatments; plan for 10-15 years of treatment and identify significant trees to treat; establish tree removal contract specs and work in coordination with multiple towns Shelby Perry Worked on Johnson EAB Plan; looked at Woodstock NY lessons learned; getting traction from selectboard has been a problem; focus on one selectboard or council member Mark Duntemann Community level tree risk management; weigh community benefits vs the risk; inventory at a scale that is appropriate. Risk is managed over time: Plantings, pruning and replacing trees; factor road use (higher traffic volume) into risk analysis; once you identify a tree to be removed; make sure the systems are in place to get it removed; line of sight is important in assessing tree hazard for roads; develop a cyclical inspection program We Walk Week John S reported that We Walk Week was a great success. About 125 people participated overall including tourists passing through the area. Folks loved the Hubbard Park walks. Another We Walk Week will be planned for May, 2015. November Workdays Tasks include mulching trees on Barre Street and Stonecutters Way. Also, more beaver fencing near the High School. John S to send out potential workdays; one during the week and one on a weekend so all can participate. Other Business • John S will meet with Montpelier Alive! To inform them of our activities and coordinate future tree related activities and funding possibilities with them. Ken expressed interest in being involved in this also. • The discussion with the Dept. of Public Works on how trees are planted in the city has been postponed for the time being given the changes occurring at DPW. • It was decided that we need the City to buy tree guards and grates; Geoff indicated that it needs to be put in as a capital budget item, either for the DPW or the Tree Board. John S to re-inventory tree locations needing protection. Geoff has 1-2 guards ready to be installed. • The spigot behind Splash will be available for watering next summer thanks to the building owner. • John s mentioned the fact that Montpelier has been the recipient of an EPA Grant under “Greening of the State Capitals” The plan for Montpelier will include green infrastructure (trees) and permeable pavement blocks to help with stormwater management . Tentative plan to be presented at City Hall on Friday, November 7th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm., with a final report sometime in January. • It was suggested that we notify tree removal companies to look for EAB when taking down dead ash trees. Old Business: • Minutes of October 2014 meeting were approved. Meeting adjourned around 6:50 p.m. Next meeting: Thursday, December 4th , 5:30-6:30, at City Hall