Rosemount receives $20,000 grant for trees

Talk about it

Rosemount’s parks and recreation department is looking for a little more variety in its greenery.

The city has made it a goal for the years to come to diversify the city’s tree population. Recently the city learned that it would receive a $20,000 Minnesota Department of Natural Resource grant to help meet that goal.

The city received the money through the Community Forest Bonding Grants. The purpose of the grant is to replace trees lost to pest, disease and storms, establish a more diverse and resilient forest and replace trees that could be affected by Emerald Ash Borer, according to the DNR.

Parks supervisor Tom Schuster said the funds will be used to plant 100 trees in 10 of the city’s parks over the next several years. Schuster said several of the older parks on the west side of the city contain a lot of ash trees which are at risk from emerald ash borer.

According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture the emerald ash borer, also known as EAB, is an insect that attacks and kills trees. The adults are small iridescent green beetles that live outside of trees. The larvae are wormlike and live underneath the bark of tree. The trees are killed by the tunneling of the larvae under bark.

While EAB has not been found in Rosemount, the city wants to be proactive in replacing the trees in case the city is faced with an infestation. In Chippendale Park there are 15 trees, 11 of which are ash.

Schuster said it is realistic that the city could lose its ash tree population, devastating the landscape of parks like Chippendale. The grant allows the city to plant a variety of other tree species including maple, oak, walnut and beech.

Rosemount has until 2014 to finish the work. There is some paperwork to complete, but Schuster said the department plans to start planting this year.

In March the Rosemount City Council passed an ordinance that gives city staff the authority to take steps against diseases and pests affecting shade trees. The passage of the ordinance paved the way for the city to receive the grant from the DNR. City staff also is working on an Emerald Ash Borer management plan.

The city will pay up front for the trees and then be reimbursed. The grant only pays for the cost of the trees. The city will incur the cost of labor and care.

Tags: news, rosemount, government