Bill Dooley asks: >Is the Dutch Elm Disease as prevalent outstate as in the metro area or does outstate have a better mix of trees such that the devastation is less noticeable? Is Minneapolis Dutch Elm heavy and if so what is the history behind the planting of that type of tree?<
First, it's the beetle that's Dutch, or rather, European, not the tree. The vunerable tree is the American elm--although other elms can harbor the beetle (and it's the beetle that carries the fungus from tree to tree). The American elm was very widely planted in the region, because it was easy to cultivate, hardy, fast growing, long lived, and makes a beautiful canopy. In fact, it was so popular that even after the potential for elm disease was known, nurseries continued to sell many of them. At one time Minneapolis had at least 200,000 elms. Minnesota was later hit with elm disease compared to Wisconsin and Michigan. It may be that our cold winters hold down the propagation of the beetles. And, it took nearly 20 years after the disease was first found in the state for there to be a big infestation. Milder winters and drought seem to cause the disease to flourish. And, the disease is just as common outstate. In fact, it probably is worse, because rural elms are probably not identified and cut down the way they are in cities. The best way to slow it down is to get diseased elms cut down fast, and to burn them. As long as the bark remains on the logs, they can harbor the beetles. Hauling the logs to remote disposal sites for debarking or shredding is expensive. St. Paul (in the 1976 outbreak) had a program to pile the trees on Pig's Eye Island, but for that to work the trees must be fully covered in dirt every day--and they weren't. Some residents want to keep the wood for fireplaces, but unless they debark immediately, the logs still harbor the beetles. Chemical treatments seem to be of limited value, and are expensive. It hasn't helped that politicians are very slow to recognize the problem and to act. Tree management doesn't win a lot of votes. State officials were warned about the disease before it actually arrived in Minnesota (circa 1960), but didn't act--why spend the money if it might not happen anyway? So, there's no sense in blaming the Rybak administration--he had other priorities, too. What will work? Cut the diseased trees down as fast as possible, and burn the wood--quickly. However, the sight of huge piles of burning trees would distress some folks--no matter that it's the most effective--and by far the least expensive--way to save many thousands of trees. The question is, can our solid waste incinerators handle elm logs? I don't know. I tried to find out from the company that runs the site near downtown, but the receptionist insisted that I call Hennepin County to set up an account first before she would let me talk to someone on the technical side. Hennepin County routed me to Jake Smith, who works with that sort of thing. He told me he didn't think it would work--logs are too thick to burn through completely in a typical cycle. So--MPCA probably won't let us have bonfires (even though fireplaces in town would produce a lot more smoke on a typical night), and we can't burn them in the incinerator. Get ready to see the city (with state help) spend a lot of money, and say goodbye to a lot of our shade, because no matter what we do now, we're going to lose a lot of these trees in the next year. A very good, well-written primer on Dutch Elm disease in Minnesota : _http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD3765.html_ (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/DD3765.html) M. G. Stinnett Jordan REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
