Article: EAB Update in the Local Paper

DeWitte, Diane K. 2011. "A Destructive Pest: An Update on the Emerald Ash Borer." The Mankato Free Press. November 30.


Last month, as I worked for complete my prospectus for this class, I found an article in the local paper, The Mankato Free Press. Written by a U of M Extension educator, Diane K. DeWitte, the article provides the area with an update on what the ash borer is, what threat it presents, and what can be done to prevent it from moving. She mentions the reason for the update: the upcoming 10 year anniversary of EAB's discovery in Michigan in 2002.
She provides a timeline of EAB in Minnesota, from its discovery in Ramsey County in 2009, then Hennepin County and Houston County, and two years later another in Ramsey and more in Houston and the city of Winona.


To protect homeowner trees, DeWitte mentions the usual scouting for "D" shaped holes and woodpecker activity. She also states that insecticide should not be applied if the tree is "out of the likely range of emerald ash borer," and that "unnecessary insecticide application is a waste of money." Ashes are only at risk, she says, if EAB is found within a 10-15 mile radius. Probably due to limited word count for the article, she provides an excellent short synopsis of the EAB life cycle. 


This article was easy to understand for anyone interested in trees. It appeared on the front page of the Home and Garden section with three large, color images. The only downside is that it has no local angle, no opportunity for readers in Mankato to connect in a local way with the author.


I want to follow up with these three things mentioned at the end of the article:

1. There are three wasps being studied by the department of agriculture. What are they?
2. There are new requirements for heat-treating wooden shipping pallets. What are those requirements?
3. The Minnesota Tree Care Advisors will put out a communication plan in 2012. What will it be and who are those advisors?

Advice

I received some advice from my professor last semester. The time ticked toward completion dates of several assignments. I found it hard to maintain the deadlines since we did not meet each week to discuss what had to be completed. The asynchronous class works well for some, but I found it wasn't for me.  I had multiple projects due at different times and I taught a Composition class of 24 smart students who sometimes also missed due dates. 


The professor gave me some suggestions for next semester. She mentioned that few students finish on time. While I want to finish at the end of May, I want to complete a solid work. If that means taking more time, well, I might have to.


But, as the professor mentioned, if I create a schedule, stick to it, expect two weeks for advisor revisions, and clear big changes before I make them, I can complete this on time.

Presentation of Research

Will a tree that currently lines thousands of boulevards in the United States become extinct in the near future? Minnesota’s green ash (fraxinus Pennslyvanica), white ash, (fraxinus americana), and the black ash (fraxinus nigra) face a dire future because of an invasive species new to the United States (O’Brian and Suszkiw 2011, 18; Wang et al. 2011, 1). The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) Fairmaire (EAB), a green beetle about the size of a nickel, has yet to be stopped since its uninvited entrance on shipping material in Detroit, Michigan in 2002 (O’Brien and Suszkiw 2011, 18-19; Dunbar 2011).

While all states have much to lose to the spread of EAB, Maine and Minnesota have the largest population of ash trees within their respective borders (MNDNR 2007). To slow the spread of the pest, many Minnesotan government agencies joined together to create an EAB task force (USDA 2008; MNDNR 2007). By the time EAB made it across the Mississippi river and into Minnesota (Schuldt 2010), several other states struggled to deal with the situation. Although all eastern and midwestern states will lose trees and money in this battle (Kovacs et al. 2010, 575; H.R. 3901), some suggest that Minnesotans maintain a stronger emotional connection with their landscape, especially their trees (Atkins 2007, 1-9). As a result, they may be more willing to engage with government agencies to protect the larger ash canopy in the state.

But many questions remain. My main question is this: How can agencies and communities effectively communicate about environmental risks? And to what extent are communities involved in the engagement process? Also, what pitfalls prevent agencies from reaching or engaging with their audiences?  To better understand the public level of environmental stewardship and awareness of invasive species (and resulting pesticide treatments), I am studying rural agency-community relationships in environments susceptible to invasive species. In doing so, I hope to find information applicable to other states as they work to effectively engage community participation in invasive species quarantine and eradication. 

Please view the video below to get a glimpse into some of my research on this subject.

Government Doc: Mankato City Code

Yesterday and I was clambering to figure out how to detail my research for the rest of the class, I looked up the Mankato's city code. I wanted to answer the "So what?" question that many researchers must deal with in order for their findings to have any implication to society outside of their discourse communities. 


Also, I've seen elm trees in Mankato yards flagged with Dutch Elm Disease (that is, several leaves turned yellow, which indicates that the disease will soon kill the tree—arborists call this "flagging"). I even contacted a MSU maintain manager when I saw an elm flagging. This great tree was flagging, and its canopy stretched to shade the parking lot. 


The MSU staff decided to wait instead of taking up my offer to cut the branch and trace the disease. The tree lingered for much longer than I thought it would. For a while I even doubted it was emerald ash borer (EAB). But the next year, the disease took the tree and they cut the whole thing down.


So I figured Mankato didn't have strict laws like Minneapolis and St. Paul does regarding diseased or dangerous trees. After all, Dutch Elm is rampant in this area (especially on the windbrakes and in the ravines). I was wrong! Here's a segment of Mankato City Code 9.73:

Section 9.737, Mankato City Code. Taken from <http://www.mankato-mn.gov/CityCode/Section-9.73.aspx>

When a homeowner's tree first gets Dutch Elm Disease, they have until April 1st of the next year to remove it. But that assumes the tree won't continue to decline, which happens most often (unless there are dry conditions). If the tree loses more than 30 percent of its canopy, the tree needs to be removed in 20 days. 


If the homeowner does not meet this requirement, the forester can "abate the nuisance" (cut it down) and charge the homeowner for it. Depending on the size of the tree, it could cost $1,000 or more (for the biggest trees). Rarely does a Mankato tree removal go for more than this price, even with cranes involved.


So, what are the implications for the ash trees of Mankato? I'm sure when the Emerald Ash Borer hit the city the City Council will update the code here. All the trees they talk about are elm and oaks. So it makes sense they would add ash trees to the rules. 


The other big question is whether or not this code is enforced. Does the forester mark trees on people's property? Maybe he does, but considering the size of the town and the amount of trees with Dutch Elm Disease, I don't imagine he gets involved unless a homeowner is negligent and a neighbor is concerned.


Why didn't I look at this sooner? It would have given my research more meaning, and it might even suggest that the city code be adapted in the future to provide for a possible infestation of EAB. Ah well, more to add into the prospectus during winter break.