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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4. COW Agenda Item V. Emerald Ash Borer/Gypsy Moth UpdateMount Prospect Public Works Department @. 1?/ TREE CM USA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: VILLAGE MANAGER MICHAEL E JANONIS FROM: FORESTRY /GROUNDS SUPERINTENDENT SUBJECT: EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE DATE: MARCH 2, 2011 As announced last September, Emerald Ash Borer was first found in Mount Prospect on September 9, 2010. At the March 8, 2011 Committee of the Whole meeting, appropriate staff will update the Village Board about EAB finds over the winter, as well as management strategies planned for the rest of 2011. The following is a brief overview of new information since last September. A. Scouting and Removals Twenty -four infested ashes have now been found in Mount Prospect. The original finds consisted of 9 trees near the intersection of Albert and Henry. We subsequently found 12 infested trees near Camp McDonald Rd. and Columbine Drive, and more recently 3 more near Lincoln Street and Bonita Avenue. All but one of the trees has now been removed; the other was just found and will be cut down soon. (See Attachment A for tree locations). In each case, our strategy has been to closely inspect all parkway ashes within approximately 1000 feet of the original find to look for additional trees. Additionally, we are now in the process of scouting all parkway ashes throughout the Village for woodpecker injury; this is an especially helpful indication that an ash tree may be infested with EAB. We hope to remove any new finds before this year's EAB flight season begins (expected around May 1 S ) Finally, we completed a fairly large ash reduction project last December. We removed 151 ashes that were not known to be infested, but that were in poor condition or had a high frequency of broken limbs in the past. B. Expected Loss Rates: We have obtained data from several other Chicago area municipalities that have been fighting EAB for several years. We hope to use this information to predict how rapidly EAB might progress through Mount Prospect. Attachment B shows some figures from three Chicago area towns who found EAB in 2006 through 2008. The chart shows their beginning ash populations when they first found EAB, and the number of infested ashes removed each year thereafter. Naturally, the progression in each town may be different due to factors such as promptness of tree removals, pruning cycles, size /health of trees, proximity to industrial sites /transportation corridors, etc. Still H:\FORESTRYIEAB IN MP\2011\MEMO -EAB UPDATE COW MARCH 2011.DOC we believe it is reasonable to use other towns' data to try to get a handle on what we might expect in our town. In an average year, we typically remove about 500 parkway trees (all species, all reasons). Our 2011 budget for contractual tree removal is $86,400.00. Depending on the size of trees removed, this may allow us to contractually remove approximately 227 trees in 2011. If EAB strikes us as rapidly as it has the other towns, it is quite possible we will be faced by the end of 2011 with the need to remove another 500 -600 infested ashes in addition to our regular removals. Of course, Village crews have been trained to do tree removals as well, and they will supplement the contractual removals. However, unless additional contractual funds are appropriated, other Forestry/Grounds programs such as landscape maintenance will almost certainly need to be scaled back or suspended. C. Replacement Plantings As you know, due to economic conditions there were no funds appropriated in the 2011 budget for EAB replacements or Cost -Share plantings. Fortunately, we recently received word that we will receive a $30,000.00 Emerald Ash Borer Restoration Grant this year. We can use this to plant one replacement tree for each ash tree removed after 9/1/2010, whether removed due to infestation or ash reduction. We plan to use this money to plant 1 %2" diameter replacements, using a mix of species designed to add diversity to our parkway tree population. Depending on availability, we plan to plant mostly Shingle Oaks, Bur Oaks, Tuliptrees, Hackberries, London Planetrees, Chinkapin Oaks, `Regal' Prince Oaks, White Oaks and Turkish Filberts. Based on bid costs, we should be able to plant approximately 186 trees using grant funds. Most trees will be planted this Spring, and we will be required to water them weekly and report quarterly on their condition. Attachment C shows how, with a few exceptions, for many years we have been cutting down more trees each year than we plant. With EAB here, this situation will be made substantially worse. It is hoped that when the economy recovers we will be able to appropriate additional planting funds in order to ensure that Mount Prospect's urban forest continues to flourish for future generations. D. Wood Utilization Efforts Last year, Television Services Production Coordinator Howard Kleinstein worked with us to create a video showing how ashes removed from our parkways were turned into furniture, baseboard, and baseball bats. In November, we showed this video to area foresters at a meeting of the Illinois Wood Utilization team. The video was also placed on the Village website. Since then, we have also had some of our ash lumber milled for benches outside the H:\FORESTRY\,EAB IN MP\201 I�MEMO -EAB UPDATE COW MARCH 2011.DOC Public Works main entrance. Additionally, we have met twice with the manager of a downtown business who is hoping to use wood from our ash trees as part of an upcoming remodeling project. E. Outreach /Education It is vitally important that the public be made aware of the EAB threat, and learn about the ways to slow its spread. To that end, we have recently updated the Village website with additional EAB information. We are now in the process of creating a mailing to property owners who have ashes in their parkways, asking them to look for symptoms and report suspicious trees. We continue to replenish EAB brochures at various public buildings and have written an EAB article for the spring Village newsletter. We will also be filming a "Talk of the Town" with Howard Kleinstein, to be aired in late March. In addition to public education, it is important to Mount Prospect that area municipal governments all work towards slowing down EAB. Therefore, we were pleased to recently host the February meeting of the Northeast Municipal Foresters in the Village Board room. Nearly 150 arborists attended the meeting, learning about EAB from other municipal foresters as well as noted researchers. F. Insecticide Treatments As approved at the 2/15/2011 Board meeting, we will once again contractually treat approximately 800 high quality parkway ash trees this spring, with the hope of preventing EAB infestation. We will use Imadacloprid for the smaller trees and Xytect for the larger ones. Additionally, we have created a free permit for use when residents ask us if they can treat parkway trees on their own. They will be required to identify who is treating the tree, the product used and the rate; if the work is being done by a contractor they will also need to provide a copy of the contractor's insurance certificate. L� Sandy Clark H:\FORESTRY\EAB IN MP\201 I\MEMO -EAB UPDATE COW MARCH 2011.DOC Attachment B How Quickly Miaht We Lose Mount Prospect's Ash Trees? * Homewood's year 4 removals are estimated ** St. Charles has only removed 1368 of 2320 known infested trees H: \Forestry \EXCEL \2011 \MP ASH TREE LOSS CHART # of Infested Trees Removed Ash Population when EAB first found Year 1 (Year of 1st find) Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total Losses to Date Wilmette (2006) 2916 46 127 460 500 381 1514 Homewood (2007) 2582 1 610 500 350* 1461 St. Charles (2008) 5411 1 531 6311 684 1368 ** Mount Prospect 1 (2010) 4115 1 24 ? I ? I ? I ? 1 24 * Homewood's year 4 removals are estimated ** St. Charles has only removed 1368 of 2320 known infested trees H: \Forestry \EXCEL \2011 \MP ASH TREE LOSS CHART AM U aj E u U (C Q taA cv c 4-J c > O E co a � � o N O O E O V 00 °o C N > o O N a (A _ o .� b.0 0 0 = N N O r .� o m R L o. a� o } O a) r; M o � ` i r m N O •� > m N `� 3 ° N L m o 0 CL ° N Ol 0) Ql 00 0) L m �l Ol c-I r - O O O O O O O O O ° 01 w I- (.0 Ln d' m N rl Mount Prospect Public Works Department INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: VILLAGE MANAGER MICHAEL E. JANONIS FROM: FORESTRY /GROUNDS SUPERINTENDENT DATE: MARCH 2, 2011 SUBJECT: GYPSY MOTH UPDATE/RECOMMENDATIONS The Forestry /Grounds Division has been monitoring Gypsy Moth in the Village since 2008 when the first gypsy moth larvae were found. In 2009 we hired a contractor to remove egg masses from 177 trees and spray 106 trees on both public and private property. In 2010 we removed egg masses from 333 trees and sprayed 197 trees on both public and private property. At the March 8, 2011 Committee of the Whole meeting, we propose to report on the results of our recently completed 2010 -2011 winter egg mass survey. We will also be seeking Village Board opinions on treatment options for 2011. Winter 2010 -2011 Egg Mass Survey As in the past, Village staff worked recently with members of the Morton Arboretum to conduct an egg mass survey. To start the surveying, the 2010 find locations were used as starting points and then we expanded out a minimum 150'. Both public and private property trees were inspected. During this survey, Gypsy Moth egg masses were found on 290 different trees on both public and private trees. (This is down slightly from the 333 trees found in the surveys one year ago.) The locations of this year's finds are spread out, but the heaviest infestations appear to be concentrated in three areas, Forestry Sections 5, 8, and 10 (See Attachment A). Treatment Recommendations for 2011 Reports from many northeast Illinois municipal foresters and entomologists indicated that Gypsy Moth levels generally decreased between 2009 and 2010. After seeing our egg mass levels grow for two consecutive years, our scouting for 2011 indicates that finally our population is decreasing slightly. We hope that the previously mentioned control measures, as well natural causes such as insect disease, are causing this reduction. After reviewing our scouting, we still do not believe that a large scale aerial spraying will be warranted for 2011. We believe that because the finds are spread out and we have not yet experienced extensive defoliation, it will still be more cost - effective to remove egg masses and spot treat infested trees as they are found. We are proposing that once again in 2011 any infested tree, parkway or private, be treated by a contractor hired by the Village, at Village expense By implementing techniques commonly referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Village arborists will monitor for hatching of H: \Forestry\WORD\2011\MEMO- GM -BRD- UPDATE 3- 8- 11.doc t egg masses in order to treat at the most effective time. Doing this will enable us to minimize pesticide use and apply the least toxic product. Treatments can be made by removing egg masses or spraying them with a soybean oil prior to hatch, or by spraying the insect in the larval stage until the point when larvae are no longer feeding. We expect that by combining treatment methods, we will get the most effective control. Because egg masses can be hard to find, especially in large trees, additional insecticide treatments may be needed after larvae emerge. Spray treatments are most effective when larvae first hatch. At this time, a biologically friendly product called Dipel, which targets only caterpillar larvae, is quite effective. As the insect matures, the level of effectiveness is reduced, and a broader spectrum insecticide must be used. We recently sent a "Request for Quotes" for Gypsy Moth treatment to multiple contractors. We requested price quotes to climb trees to remove or spray egg masses and additionally to ground - spray trees that are infested with larvae. If approved, egg mass spraying or removal will need to occur shortly (by early to mid April). Insecticide treatments for larvae may have to start as early as late April, depending on weather. We received four price quotes, and two "no bid" letters from contractors. In order to figure the lowest cost, we used a sample treatment list which includes spraying 20 trees in each of the size classes requested, on both public and private property. The sample list also includes 170 man hours at a Time/Material rate to remove or treat egg masses. Autumn Tree Care Experts had the lowest price to remove /treat egg masses at $8,840.00 while Kramer Tree Specialists had the lowest price to spray infested trees at $7,760.00. In order for the Village's contractor to work on private property we plan to ask the property owners to sign a "Hold Harmless" agreement allowing the work to be completed. These letters were used in the past and met with good response, with all residents in favor of the proposed treatments at Village expense. Should residents decline treatment by the Village's contractor, the Forestry/Grounds Division would need to enforce the existing Village Code, requiring that Gypsy Moth infestations be treated by the property owner. Currently $38,760.00 has been budgeted in the 2011 budget for Gypsy Moth Spraying. On 2/15/11 the Village Board approved the use of $20,000.00 of these funds for EAB insecticide treatments. We propose to use the balance, $18,760.00, to treat infested public and private trees for Gypsy Moth. Autumn Tree Care would perform egg mass removal /treatment and Kramer Tree Specialists would conduct ground spraying. Alternate Quote to Treat Private Trees at Property Owners Expense Because of the current economic conditions, we wanted to provide an alternative for residents if the Village Board decides not to pay for treatment of private trees. To accomplish this, we asked that the contractors providing price quotes for the Village also provide an alternate quote to treat private trees directly for residents. Quotes were obtained for egg mass removal and spraying of private trees. In this scenario the Village would only compile the pricing and provide contact MEMO- GM -BRD- UPDATE 3 -8 -11 information for residents with infested trees. The residents would then contact the contractor directly, and all billing and scheduling would be handled by the contractor. The following are the quotes submitted by the four lowest contractors for this alternate quote: ALTERNATE QUOTE: For Direct Contracting by Residents Autumn Kramer Winkler's Contractor: Tree Davey Tree Tree Per Tree Per Tree Per Tree Cost Cost Cost Per Tree Cost Ground Spray with Dipel, p rivate tree up to 20" $98.00 $35.00 $42.00 $75.00 Ground Spray with Dipel, private tree greater than 20" $98.00 $60.00 $52.00 $70.00 Ground Spray with Conserve, private tree up to 20" $98.00 $35.00 $42.00 $75.00 Ground Spray with Conserve private tree g reater than 20" $98.00 $60.00 $52.00 $70.00 Time & Material per hour for one climber $75.00 $70.00 $85.00 $64.67 If the Board chooses this option, we propose to send this information to all property owners where Gypsy Moth has been found on private property. They may then choose to use one of these contractors, find a contractor on their own, or treat the tree themselves. If the Village no longer treats private trees in 2011, we estimate that our previously mentioned contractual cost may be reduced from $18,000.00 to about $12,000.00. However, an enormous amount of staff time would be involved in enforcing Gypsy Moth code requirements. Public Education In order to help combat Gypsy Moth, we will continue to educate the public about the presence of this pest. Property owners should know what to look for and what control measures can be taken to help slow the spread. For these reasons we have written an informative article for the April /May /June 2011 Village newsletter. We have also been distributing information packets, making the Homeowner's Guide to the Gypsy Moth in Illinois (published by the University of Illinois Extension office) widely available to property owners. We also updated the section on the Village website where Gypsy Moth information can be obtained. Additionally, our Gypsy Moth display for the Public Works Open House will again be featured this year. (Note that the Open House will be held on Saturday May 14, 2011 from 9AM until 1PM.) Summary / Recommendations MEMO- GM -BRD- UPDATE 3 -8 -11 What we've learned from other municipalities' past experience is that Gypsy Moth can multiply very rapidly. In a short number of years a small infestation can become a widespread problem, causing extensive tree defoliation and wide - spread public concern. We still feel that the best way to manage Gypsy Moth in Mount Prospect at this time is to treat every known infestation while populations are still relatively low. Therefore I request that, at the March 8, 2011 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Village Board considers approval of the above - mentioned control measures for spring and summer 2011, treating both public and private trees at Village expense. f ti Sandy Clark I concur. Glen . And er Public Works Director MEMO- GM -BRD- UPDATE 3 -8 -11 Attachment A Village of Mount Prospect ,� 2 \'O _ HIGHLAND AV ti 5 46 O 17 w vise i i 16 39 s 15 3 "��K 11 GOURD g W N N 14a 12 �.Q �' DEMPSTER ST 0 13 N n s 6 25 CENTRAL RD 8 Q 58 5 9 22 1050 4 KENSINGTON RD KENSINGTON CENTER FOR BUSINESS 7 3 FAIRVIEW GARDENS SEMINOLE LN 1 CAMP McDONALD RD 2 7 t EUCLID AVE 3 Small numbers within Sections are number of trees with Gypsy Moth egg masses, Winter 2010 -2011.