HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978 07-26 Dutch elm disease down by one-third in M'wood THE REVIEW Dutch elm dIsease
• •byone t it on M 'woo
will benefit,said Cass."Many Maplewood
"Believe it or not, we who cut trees The bills from the city for the tree residents own a large tract of land," he
a down, do like trees," said Bill Cass, removal are now arriving at Maplewood continued. "We contacted the legislators.
Maplewood engineering services coor- resident homes. According to Cass, the I like to think that we were a motivating
dinator, speaking for Igor Fejda, bill shows the removal cost and a credit in factor for the change."
Maplewood forester, and the two other most cases,which is the grant-in-aid. For The state allows 20 days for a diseased
tree inspectors who have combed the a resident who owns under five acres,the tree to be taken down after it has been
J streets in search of diseased Dutch elm grant will amount to 56.5 percent of the discovered. Maplewood, then, has given
1
, trees. total; for a resident who owns over five residents seven days in which to hire their
"The best way to combat the disease is acres, the grant will amount to 19.5 own contractor or remove the tree
to have a good sanitation program," Cass percent. An average tree of 20 inches themselves. About one-third of the
explained.The tree inspector who finds a diameter will cost about$50 for removal residents arranged for the tree removal
sick elm on private property, knocks at and the grinding of the stump. or felled trees with their own chain saws
the owner's door and informs him or her Next year, more people will be eligible this last year.
that the elm's fate must be decided in for the grant-in-aid since legislation has Maplewood follows the state
seven days is following regulations for the changed as to the amount of acreage. regulations stringently. "The sooner you
state Dutch elm program. Those who own between five and 20 acres catch it, the chances are that the second
tree won't catch the disease," said Cass.
Last year, Maplewood tree inspectors
found 5,000 diseased trees. This year the
forecast is between 3,500 to 4,000 trees.
Forester Igor Fejda said, "We may be
able to save 25 to 30 percent of the elms in
this area. With effective sanitation, you
stand to save more trees.".
Maplewood is lucky in comparison to
Minneapolis and St. Paul where up to 80
percent of the trees are elms. Half of the
trees in Maplewood are oaks. "When we
start our replanting program,we won't ga
ape about any one kind of tree," said
Fejda.
Besides being of aesthetic value, trees
serve practical purposes, too. Fejda told
of more than one call from people whose
air conditioning bills have increased as a
result of tree removal. One woman said
that she used her air conditioner six to
I 1 11
' 14 fit+