List,
There was some publicity over the last couple of weeks about the Emergency status of Dutch Elm Disease in the City of Minneapolis.
I sit on the newly-appointed Minneapolis Tree Advisory Commission, a committee of concerned folks (residents, park board commissioners and staff, mayor, city council, U of M, and arborists) who are worried that there isn't enough being done about the disease in our fair city, a disease that has been raging, more or less, since 1978. We have asked that our elected officials take notice and work across agencies; that the Park Board better inform citizens about the disease and the timely treatment or removal or elms; and that citizens do the right thing by either treating their private and boulevard elms, and/or remove those that are diseased on their private property. We ask that everyone work hard to slow the disease (by removing dying trees and not storing elm wood on property or in garages) and to plant new trees as soon as possible.
I'm wondering what members on this List have experienced in terms of the epidemic on their streets, delay in removing dying trees, the replacement of new trees, NRP or other group involvement, etc. Are people still aware that we have about 50,000 elm trees in Minneapolis, and that 10,000 were cut down last year (2004) and that another 10,000 will probably be removed in 2005? What's the word on the street, in other words.
It's an issue worth discussing, even shouting about, lest we lose another significant chunk of our urban forest.
Respectfully,
Tracy Nordstrom Tree Activist in East Calhoun
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