some upcoming removals that are planned in District 15. Please see below,
attachments, and if you have any questions please email or call me.
Due to the decline in health of ash trees associated with Emerald Ash Borer
(EAB) infestation and other factors (previous storm damage, etc.), Forestry
plans to remove 150 ash trees from some of the streets indicated on the
attached map.
The Department of Public Works has tentatively planned to complete road
reconstruction in this area in 2020 and 2021. Based on Parks and Recreation
policy regarding ash tree removal and replacement in planned construction
areas (attached), the removed trees will not be replaced until the boulevard
restoration portion of the construction process takes place. There are
several reasons tree replacement in known construction areas is postponed,
including:
. substantial regrading of streets and boulevards which can
significantly impact tree health and stability
. the potential need for replacement of private utilities during
construction including water and sewer lines
. damage to young trees during construction often results in tree
mortality
The streets that will see the most impact from these removals are Juno,
Watson, Hartford, Bayard, Scheffer, Eleanor, Syndicate and Vista. We are
sympathetic to the negative impact of losing trees, and while removing trees
is never a choice anyone wants to make, we have a responsibility to
residents and visitors to remove public trees that pose a public safety
risk. Waiting until 2020 to remove large, mature trees that are declining in
health is
not an option. Please note in the timeline below our plan to have a public
meeting for anyone who is interested in learning more about the planned
removals, as well as the broader impact EAB is having on ash trees in
communities all across Saint Paul.
Tentative plan for removals and public outreach:
Week of June 11th: postcards will be sent to each residence on affected
streets with information regarding removals and a public meeting
announcement
Wednesday, June 27th: Public meeting @ 6pm at the intersection of Scheffer
Avenue & Syndicate Street.
Week of July 2nd or July 9th: Trees will be marked with green paint to
indicate removal
Week of July 30th: Beginning this week the trees and stumps will be
removed-work will take approximately 3-4 weeks to complete.