HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-11-09 Tree Advisory Board Minutes
TREE ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES
FEBRUARY 11, 2009
12:00 PM
CITY HALL GALLATIN CONFERENCE ROOM
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Shelly Engler, Chairperson
Mary Keck
Mike Haugh
Ada Montague
Rodney Walters
Jeff Rupp, Commission Liaison
CITY STAFF PRESENT:
Ryon Stover, Forestry Foreman
Michelle Dipzinski, Public Works Administrative Assistant
GUESTS PRESENT:
None
Chairperson Engler called the meeting to order at 12p.m.
Item # 1 – Introduction of new member:
All present introduced themselves to Boardmember Walters the newest member of the
board.
Item #2 – Review of meeting agenda:
No changes requested
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Item #3 – January 14 approval of meeting minutes:
Page 3, item 6b – correct Boardmember Walters name from Wagner;
Page 3, Item 6e, last paragraph, second sentence – insert the word “met” after He.
Boardmember Keck motioned to accept the minutes with the requested changes with
Boardmember Montague seconding.
Item #4 – Open Public Comment:
No members of the public were present.
Item #5 – New Business:
a)Election of Officers:
Chairperson Engler encouraged the board to make a nomination for a new
chairperson, the job involves preparing the agenda for the meetings and making
sure the meetings run smoothly and on time.
Boardmember Montague nominated Boardmember Keck as Chairperson with
Boardmember Haugh seconding. Boardmember Keck accepted the nomination;
the nomination passed unanimously.
b)Arbor Day:
Potential ideas for an Arbor Day event were discussed, ideas and issues that
came up were:
1)holding the event after Arbor Day, last year the planned events for that
day were snowed out
2)possibly just having a Tree Board table set up at the Bozeman
Beautification Cleanup Day
3)keeping it simple, possibly planting a tree at the new Chief Joseph Middle
School on Kimberwicke, there would be no need to plan transporting
students – Boardmember Engler will contact the school to see if they
are interested
4)possibly having the “Every day is Arbor Day” T-shirts ready for the event.
No decisions regarding an Arbor Day event were made at this meeting.
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Item #6 – Old Business:
a)Update Tree Selection Guide:
Boardmember Keck requested that all board members read through the draft
copy of the document to verify the tree descriptions are accurate. She will also
email a short list of different trees to each of the board members to verify or find
the location of each tree on their list.
The software needed for the new brochure is an issue, Foreman Stover will
check his budget to verify what funds are available for a new updated version
of software. Board Secretary Dipzinski will research what software is available
that will fit the needs.
The Tree Selection Guide update is a work in progress.
b)Rouse Avenue Plan:
Not discussed.
c)Orientation Packet for new board members:
Board Secretary Dipzinski will provide past minutes and accompanying
documents to Boardmember Walters before the next meeting.
d)Mountain Pine Beetle:
Forestry Department staff is currently dealing with the removal of affected trees
on city property; the trees are being removed, chipped, and disposed of at the
Landfill. Most of the trees have been small enough to chip but there have been
a few large logs that are too big for the chipper that have been disposed of in the
brush pile at the landfill. The Solid Waste District contracts with a company to
come in and grind up all the wood and then recycle it as hogged fuel for boilers.
There is new technical information on how the pheromone Verbenone is applied
as well as how often or how long the patch will last, there are some reports that
say they will work for up to 6 months and others that say 2 years. The cost of
the pheromone has increased also; it was originally available for $6 to $10 per
patch but now is as high as $17 to $19 per patch.
Infected trees can be disposed of at both the City and Logan Landfills for $15.00
for up to 2 cubic yards. If the trees were infected last year the beetle is still in
the tree and it is important that they be removed.
Suggestions for getting more information out to the public were:
1)Tying pine beetle information in with the Arbor Day event as an
informational project
2)Running more PSA’s
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3)Possibly having Foreman Stover attend and talk at a joint Chamber of
Commerce/Downtown Business Association meeting where he could
provide more information.
Foreman Stover has been quoted in several Bozeman Chronicle Articles
regarding the pine beetle, he has participated along with Amy Ganon from the
State who is a DNRC Entomologist in a radio talk show and has several slides
showing on the Bozeman City Channel #20 as a way to get information out to the
public.
Boardmember Haugh will contact David Smith with the Chamber and Chris
Nauman with the Downtown Association to see if they are interested in
Foreman Stover providing information at a joint meeting regarding the Pine
Beetle.
Item #7 – Reminder List:
a)T-shirts “Every Day is Arbor Day”:
Boardmember Montague will create a design for the shirts and bring it to the
next meeting. Board Secretary Dipzinski will find out if the shirts can be sold at
the potential Arbor Day event.
b)PIG Grant:
c)Street Tree Master Plan:
d)Gallatin Valley water issue
e)Durston Project:
f)Other board information/activities:
a.Park & Recreation Board:
b.Beautification Board
c.Subdivision Review Committee:
d.Cemetery Expansion:
g)2020 Plan & Transportation Plan:
h)Invite MSU (President, Horticulture Staff, Landscape Architecture class) to plant
more trees on MSU properties:
i)Tree board history:
j)Tree pest alert process, information to arborists & maintenance companies:
k)Live Christmas tree radio spots and Chronicle articles:
Only Item #7a was discussed at this meeting.
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Other Items of Interest discussed:
The Cost Share Program will start mid March; there are 5 different species of trees that
have been ordered including the Ginkgo which will be an experimental tree for this area.
The trees will sell for $93 each and city staff will do all the planting. Different species of
trees are picked each year.
The Tree Replacement Voucher Program will start shortly after the Cost Share Program
begins. This program was started to replace boulevard trees that have died. For ever 6
inch in diameter of the removed tree the homeowner will receive a $75.00 voucher that
can be redeemed at participating businesses to go toward the replacement of the dead
tree. The replacement tree must be planted on city property.
Boardmember Walters mentioned that there is a group of students that are working on
getting the MSU Campus designated as a Tree Campus USA, they have been given
Danforth Park to work on.
Item #8 – Meeting Schedule:
The next meeting is scheduled for March 11 in the Gallatin Room at City Hall from noon
until 1p.m.
Boardmember Montague motioned to adjourn the meeting at 1p.m. and Boardmember
Keck seconded.
The meeting adjourned at 1p.m.
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