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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 14 2016 EAB Report Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 / www.cityofpriorlake.com 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION REPORT MEETING DATE: MARCH 14, 2016 AGENDA #: 2 PREPARED BY: KATY GEHLER, PUBLIC WORKS/NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR PRESENTED BY: KATY GEHLER AGENDA ITEM: RECEIVE A REPORT ON EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB) DISCUSSION: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed an emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation in Prior Lake on Tuesday, August 25, 2015. EAB is an insect that attacks and kills ash trees. It is spread through transported firewood. The adults are small, iridescent green beetles that live outside of trees during the summer months. The larvae are grub or worm-like and live underneath the bark of ash trees. Emerald ash borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. EAB is native to eastern Asia but was discovered in Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, in 2002. Indications are it may have been introduced to this area as early 1990. EAB has been spread in ash firewood, nursery stock and possibly other ash materials to a number of new areas. EAB was found in St. Paul in 2009, the first Minnesota city. All ash trees are susceptible to EAB and millions of ash trees have been killed in infested areas already. Minnesota has the highest volume of ash trees in the U.S. with almost a billion forestland and urban wood ash trees. The potential economic and environmental impacts of losing these trees is substantial. The cost of removing and replacing a single tree can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. EAB-killed trees dry out quickly and become hazard trees in less time than after a normal tree death. Hazard trees are trees that can be dangerous because of the possibility of them falling over or large branches breaking off, with a potential to cause personal injury to people. At the onset of EAB the primary method for public agencies to address EAB was removal and replacement. In fact a number of cities have been proactively removing and replacing ash trees for several years to get out ahead of EAB. However, areas that have been using treatment methods for several years, such as in Michigan, are finding benefits to slowing the spread of EAB and treatment costs are becoming more economical. The most cost effective approach may be a combination of treatment and removals considering the trees size, age, condition, location, and other factors. In addition, indirect costs should be considered such as energy 2 savings, stormwater benefit and property value increases for saving larger specimen trees. In order to provide meaningful estimates of the impact to Prior Lake, an inventory of ash trees is useful. Staff has been working on the inventory as time has allowed. Staff focused efforts to document the City’s urban forest in developed park areas first. This portion of the inventory identified 4,523 trees, 650 (14%) of which were ash. More recently the City has completed representative sample areas that were used to estimate the total number of public trees, including condition, within the City and has included streets and trails. It is estimated that the City has 8,085 ash trees that will be impacted by EAB. Attachment 1 shows the results of this analysis. Using these estimates, an analysis was completed to show the potential impacts of various scenarious to provide framework for the discussion. The scenarios are described below and the attached charts show the potential annual and cumulative costs. Based on the experience of other cities it is estimated that the significant impacts to the urban canopy from EAB will occur over the next 10-11 years. If no preventative action is taken, the peak has the potential to hit within 6-7 years. Base Case: Removal of all public ash trees as they succumb to EAB (more than 30% canopy decline). Remove and chip in place woodland hazard trees. Replacement to start in Year 9. Ash Tree Preservation Plan A: Removal of public ash trees as they succumb to EAB. Preemptive removal of some low-quality trees (Years 3-10). Remove and chip in place woodland hazard trees. Treatment with emamectin benzoate of high -priority trees using two protocols: Treat 1/3 of trees annually (3 cycles each Years 1 -9 years. Treat 20% of trees annually through remaining years. Ash Tree Preservation Plan B (Staged Removal Scenario): Same as ATP Plan A except some medium and low-quality trees are treated over a 6-year period (2 treatments each, Years 4-9) and then removed as they succumb to EAB. The purpose is to flatten annual budgets during the peak of the infestation (Years 4-9), increase pest suppression and herd immunity, and preserve tree benefits. Ash Tree Preservation Plan B1 (Staged Removal Scenario variation): Same as ATP Plan B except this scenario assumes the continued treatment of the low-quality trees that were treated for staged removal. The purpose is to further reduce total budgets, increase pest suppression and herd immunity, and preserve tree benefits. ISSUES: Due to the changing landscape of treatment and abatement options for EAB, the City will need to consider what approach to take for mitigating the effects of EAB. Input will be sought on the following topics: 1. Does the City want to take a more proactive approach to ash tree management on public property including rights-of-way by exploring treatment options to extend the life of trees? Using the results of the analysis, should the 2017 budgets include an additional amount for treatments? 3 2. The analysis does not assume replacement upon removal to help balance the costs over time. Is this the right approach? 3. The City currently has a diseased and hazard tree ordinance in place. The ordinance provides the mechanism for the City to manage the City’s urban forest by identifying and requiring abatement of trees found to be harboring diseases or pests and any tree that is deemed to be hazardous. Does the City want to manage EAB on private properties similar to our management of Oak Wilt? If so we could expect to see a significant increase in staff time allotted to identify EAB, follow-up with the property owner, and complete enforcement if necessary. 3. Staff from Shakopee, Savage and Prior Lake have been discussing the benefits of partnering on tree services and collaborating on communications. A request for proposals has been drafted to seek bids from treatment companies that ecourage a bulk rate that can be made available to resdients. Staff will review the proposed program at the work session and ask for concurance to move forward. 4. The cost of the impact of EAB could be considerable. The Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (MnSTAC) has introduced a funding request as part of the bonding bill. This request asks for $5.0 Million over a two year period. MnSTAC is requesting support of this effort. Should the City and/or SCALE support this effort? Up d a t e d : 3 / 1 1 / 1 6 Nu m b e r Pe r c e n t o f To t a l C i t y As h T r e e s Av e r a g e DB H To t a l D B H B a s e C a s e AT P P l a n A AT P P l a n B AT P P l a n B1 Nu m b e r Av e r a g e DB H To t a l D B H N u m b e r Average DBH Total DBH Es t i m a t e d C i t y t r e e s : Hi g h - p r i o r i t y : G o o d c o n d i t i o n , D B H 1 5 " or g r e a t e r 1, 6 7 6 2 1 % 2 1 . 4 3 5 , 8 7 7 Me d i u m - p r i o r i t y : G o o d c o n d i t i o n , D B H 8- 1 4 . 5 " 2, 5 1 9 3 1 % 8 . 5 1 4 , 2 9 4 Lo w - q u a l i t y : P o o r c o n d i t i o n o r D B H < 8" 3, 8 9 0 4 8 % 3 . 5 5 , 7 9 8 Su b t o t a l C i t y a s h t r e e s 8, 0 8 5 1 0 0 % 6 . 9 5 5 , 9 6 9 No n - a s h C i t y t r e e s 47 , 0 6 8 4 . 2 1 9 6 , 6 4 0 4 7 , 0 6 8 4 . 2 196,640 To t a l C i t y t r e e s 8 , 0 8 5 6 . 9 5 5 , 9 6 9 4 7 , 0 6 8 4 . 2 1 9 6 , 6 4 0 5 5 , 1 5 3 4 . 6 252,610 Es t i m a t e d n o n - C i t y t r e e s 3 4, 8 1 5 6 . 9 3 3 , 3 3 7 3 4 , 1 1 6 4 . 2 1 4 2 , 5 3 1 3 8 , 9 3 2 4 . 5 175,868 To t a l t r e e s 1 2 , 9 0 0 6 . 9 8 9 , 3 0 7 8 1 , 1 8 5 4 . 2 3 3 9 , 1 7 1 8 6 , 0 0 0 5 . 0 428,477 Ot h e r f a c t o r s : Pr e e m p t i v e r e m o v a l s 2, 0 0 0 2 5 % Tr e a t l o w - q u a l i t y t r e e s f o r s t a g e d re m o v a l , 2 c y c l e s , Y e a r 4 - 9 1, 0 0 0 T r e a t Ye a r 4 - 9 C o n t i n u e tr e a t i n g Lo w - q u a l i t y t r e e s t o b e r e m o v e d o n tr a i l s 1, 0 7 3 1 0 . 7 1 1 , 4 4 1 Ha z a r d t r e e s o n t r a i l s - Re p l a c e m e n t t r e e s Ta b l e 2 : T r e e S u r v e y R e s u l t s Amount Lo c a t i o n s T r e e s A v e . D B H % o f T o t a l In v e n t o r i e d s t r e e t t r e e s : $3.53 Go o d c o n d i t i o n , D B H 1 5 " o r l a r g e r 3 0 2 2 1 . 4 1 2 1 % $300 Go o d c o n d i t i o n , D B H 8 - 1 5 " 4 5 4 8 . 5 3 3 1 % $53 Ot h e r t r e e s 7 0 1 3 . 4 6 4 8 % $494 To t a l t r e e s 1 , 4 5 7 8 . 8 5 1 0 0 % Tr a i l t r e e s : 0.33 Go o d c o n d i t i o n ( w i l l b e t r e a t e d ) 4, 1 9 5 > 1 5 " $0.16 To b e r e m o v e d b u t n o s t u m p r e m o v a l 1, 0 7 3 $0.17 To t a l i n v e n t o r i e d t r e e s 6, 7 2 5 $0.81 $15 $300 Ta b l e 3 : K e y C o s t F a c t o r s : St u m p r e m o v a l ( $ p e r D B H ) 3 Ta b l e 1 : C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f T r e e P o p u l a t i o n s Pr i o r L a k e E m e r a l d A s h B o r e r P l a n A n a l y s i s As h T r e e s i n A n a l y s i s Ot h e r T r e e s Totals, All Trees Es t i m a t e d T r e e P o p u l a t i o n s Me t h o d o l o g y f o r t r e e p o p u l a t i o n s : T h e C i t y s u r v e y e d a s t a t i s t i c a l l y s i g n i f i c a n t s a m p l e o f p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e t r e e s . T h e s u r v e y i n c l u d e s t h e n u m b e r o f C i t y a s h t re e s o n s t r e e t s ( 1 , 4 5 7 ) a n d t o t a l D B H b y c o n d i t i o n r a t i n g (g o o d , f a i r , p o o r , a n d n e e d s i n s p e c t i o n ) . T a b l e 2 b e l o w b r e a k s o u t t h e " g o o d " c o n d i t i o n t r e e s f r o m t h e s u r v e y i n t o t w o s u b c a t e go r i e s : H i g h - p r i o r i t y , D B H o f 1 5 " o r g r e a t e r (2 1 % o f t o t a l ) , a n d m e d i u m - p r i o r i t y , D B H 8 - 14 . 5 " ( 3 1 % o f t o t a l ) . I t i s a s s u m e d t h a t ab o u t 2 1 % o f t h e C i t y a s h t r e e s i n m a n a g e d p a r k s a n d t r a i l s w i l l a l s o b e i n g o o d c o n d i ti o n a n d h a v e D B H o f 1 5 " o r g r e a t e r ( T a b l e 2 ) . 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T h e D N R s t u dy r e s u l t s a r e b a s e d o n s u r v e y r e s u l t s o f a s h t r e e s l o c a t e d w i t h i n 6 6 f e e t o f t h e r o a d w a y ' s ed g e i n r e s i d e n t i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l a r e a s . T h e y d o n o t i n c l u d e w oo d l a n d t r e e s . T h e f i g u r e s i n c l u d e p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e a s h t r e e s . S o u r c e : Ra p i d A s s e s s m e n t o f A s h a n d E l m R e s o u r c e s i n M i n n e s o t a C o m m u n i t i e s , 1/5/07, Mi n n e s o t a D e p a r t m e n t o f N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s . D o w n l o a d e d : h t t p : / /f i l e s . d n r . s t a t e . m n . u s / a s s i s t a n c e / b a c k y a r d / t r e e c a r e / f o r e s t _ h e a l t h /a s h _ e l m R a p i d A s s e s s m e n t / r a p i d a s s e s s m e n t _ A s h E l m . p d f R e p l a c e a l l l o s t a s h t r e e s Y e a r s 9 - 2 0 R e m o v e at d e a t h Tr e a t Re m o v e a t d e a t h As h t r e e s , b o t h o n s t r e e t s a n d i n m a n a g e d ar e a s o f p a r k s a n d t r a i l s : Tr e e a n d s t u m p r e m o v a l c o s t s : P e r p r i c e s p r o v i d e d b y C o l l i n s T r e e S e r v i c e Ne w t r e e ( p u r c h a s e a n d i n s t a l l a t i o n o f 2 . 5 " t r e e ) 3 Co s t t o r e m o v e a r e p l a c e m e n t t r e e 4 Pe s t i c i d e c o s t s ( $ p e r l i t e r ) EA B t r e a t m e n t s w i t h p e s t i c i d e f o r m u l a t i o n ( e m a m e c t i n b e n z o a t e ) : 5 Av e r a g e d o s a g e ( m l / t r u n k a r e a a t b r e a s t h e i g h t ) Av e r a g e c o s t f o r e m a m e c t i n b e n z o a t e p e r t r u n k a r e a Av e r a g e c o s t f o r p l u g s p e r D B H Av e r a g e l a b o r a n d o v e r h e a d c o s t p e r D B H Gi r d l i n g c o s t p e r t r e e 6 Co s t t o c u t a n d r e m o v e o r p r o c e s s a t r a p t r e e o r h a z a r d t r e e i n w o o d l a n d s 6 Co p y o f P r i o r L a k e E A B P l a n Analysis 031116, Populations