Tree Board

Montpelier Tree Board Minutes December 4, 2014 5:30-6:15 pm Montpelier City Hall In attendance: John Snell, Jeff Schumann, John Akielaszek, and volunteers Ken Libertoff, Bob Troester, Stephanie Olsen and Sophie Halpin (for Geoff Beyer) Old Business The November 6, 2014 meeting minutes were approved with the edits that Jeff provided. November Workdays John S reported that there was quite a bit of work completed during the two November workdays. Sophie and Dave Brunell added compost to the trees on Stonecutters Way and the new trees on Barre Street and added mulch afterwards. The trees were also flagged for snowplows. John S estimated about 60 trees near the cemetery upstream of the Spring Street bridge were protected from beavers using chicken wire during the second workday. Another work session to protect more trees from beavers is warranted. Private Property Ash Survey John A provided additional results of the ash survey on private property. For parcels less than 10 acres in size, there were about 44 parcels with ash trees present. Extrapolating out to the City overall, it is estimated that there are between 618 and 749 private property parcels (average 681) with ash trees. The median number of ash trees per parcel is four (4) and an estimated 2,724 ash trees are present on private property in the City. If we use $250.00 per tree for removal, the total costs to City residents would be $681,000, dwarfing the costs to remove the City’s estimated 535 street ash. As reported earlier the tree sizes most commonly encountered in the ash survey were in the 7” – 12” and 13” – 18” categories and represent trees which will require the services of tree removal companies when EAB arrives. John A also gave a status report on the EAB Preparedness Plan and where we go from here. The following were preparation steps identified (prior to EAB arrival): (1) Preparedness Planning Document – John is working on an updated version (2) Complete a Montpelier Inventory of Ash Street Trees and a Limited Inventory of Ash Park Trees - Completed (3) Estimate Ash on Private Property - Completed (4) Estimate Future Costs Due to EAB – Completed insofar as removal costs are concerned; we have not estimated tree replacement costs as yet (5) Educate the Community on the EAB Threat - This is ongoing; plan to work with Times Argus and The Bridge in late Winter/early Spring to get word out on private property ash (6) Engage Municipal Officials and Community In EAB Options Discussions – this needs improvement; we need a liaison with City Council to start; may also work with the new Public Works Director when hired (7) Develop a Protocol For Examining Downed Ash Trees – plan to get a list of local tree removal companies/arborists from Geoff and develop a practical approach for ash trees removed within City limits; might involve Tree Board being contacted by the companies when poor condition ash trees are to be removed. (8) Plan for the Routine Removal and Replacement of Poor Condition Street Ash – The Street ash tree survey provided some preliminary data on where poor condition street ash trees are located. Most ash were in good condition. The City-wide inventory of all trees planned for next Spring might provide a list of trees prioritized for removal (9) Identify a Proposed Disposal Location for Future Infested Ash - The Montpelier stump dump area was originally considered to be an ideal location. However, that same area may be used for a solar panel array. Additional planning needed. (10) Start Engaging Surrounding Towns – preliminary discussion occurred at the recent Tree Stewards Conference; need to identify key personnel in the surrounding towns for coordination purposes. (11) Determine Potential Uses For Infested Trees and Potential Ash Utilization – John will do a literature search as there is activity along these lines in states which have suffered from ash tree infestations; Ken will check into the Northfield Falls baseball bat manufacturer as to the source of their wood and what products they make. We would like to thank Caitlin Cusack of the UVM Extension Service for all the help, guidance and support she has given to towns in Vermont preparing to deal with EAB. Caitlin is taking a new position with the Vermont Land Trust. Pruning and Removing of Large Trees Sophie reported for Geoff on this. Pruning of trees behind City Hall has been completed as well as removal of some hazard trees on Berlin Street and Liberty Street. More work needs to be done. Inventory of Tree Grates and Guards John S reported that the inventory data has been submitted to Bill Fraser along with a request to get these tree protections upgraded. We are waiting for a response from Bill. Donation John S reported that the Tree Board received a donation in the form of a check for $500 to be used specifically for the Union School planting project specifically. Other Business • John S and Ken will meet with Montpelier Alive! in January. • In January the Tree Board members and volunteers will attend Legislative Welcome Back event which the City holds each year. There will be no official meeting in January. • Bob updated the Downtown Tree map data and photos and requested that the link to that map and information be placed on the Tree Board webpage. John A will work on that and get assistance from Fred and Seth (Montpelier IT) if assistance is required. Meeting adjourned around 6:15 p.m. Next meeting at City Hall: Thursday, February 5th , 5:30-6:30