RES 16-15A Resolution of the City of Elk River encouraging Governor Dayton and the
Minnesota Legislature to create a statewide program that supports and
protects community forests with a focus on the managementof the Emerald
Ash Borer infestation
WHEREAS, the preservation of our community forests is at a crucial point because
current public tree deaths far outpace tree replacement in Minnesota cities; and
WHEREAS, community forests provide crucial environmental, economic, human health
and aesthetic benefits for our citizens; and
WHEREAS, the average ash tree in the state of Minnesota provides approximately $170 in
benefits annually; and
WHEREAS, ash trees comprise on average 20",,o of the trees in the state's con-imunity
forests but triany communities have ash tree populations totaling as much as 40%; and
WHEREAS, an invasive species, the Emerald Ash Borer. (EAB), threatens to kill every
unprotected ash tree 11-1 Nlifinesota and the loss of these trees will have a profound effect on
everyone living in Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, EAB cannot be effectively fought city by city just as epidemiologists cannot
effectively fight a human epidemic city by city; and
WHEREAS, ash trees killed by E'AB become brittle very quickly and become a public
hazard threatening overhead cables and power lines, vehicles, buildings, and people, cities
will have limited ability to manage the damage frorn EA13 and the explosive increase ill the
number of dead trees; and
WHEREAS, peer-reviewed studies have confiri-ned that a coordinated, landscaped -based
strategy is more cost effective than a city -by -city approach; and
WHEREAS, recent scientific advances have resulted in. anintegrated pest n-ianagernent
approach that includes detection techniques, pest control measures, and the protection of
high value, healthy trees; and
WHEREAS, Modern methods preserve about four times as much of the tree canopy and
tree value over twenty years as the outdated approach that relied solely on tree removal
instead of pest control, yet it costs half as much and it helps protect untreated private ash
trees that are nearby; and
Pp V F R I I ®v
NATURE,I
WHEREAS, the number of management options goes down and the costs and losses go
up as the pest population increases and a greater number of trees die.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Elk
River, Minnesota, as follows: that the City Council of the City of Elk River urges Governor
Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature to create a statewide program that provides
guidance and matching funds to help local governments preserve and improve their
community forests through the cost-effective and envixonmen tally sound management of
the Emerald Ash Borer infestation and future attacks by invasive species and diseases.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Elk River
recommends a funding level of $13 million per year for this statewide program.
Passed and adopted this 7" day of Match, 2016.
AITEST:
(---I
Tina Allard, City Clerk
Jo J. ietz, >fayor