Ramsey Resident - 2009 - July/August (2)

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Development Ramsey's Recycling Program Honored The city of RaIllsey's recycling prograIll was recog- nized by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners for its 2008 recycling tOllllage total. The residents ofRaIllsey recycled 2.622 tons of recyclable materials in 2008, which easily exceeded RaIllsey's goal of 1.930 tons. RaIllsey's recycling prograIll was also honored as the Rethink Recycling ChaIllpion in 2008 by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners. The Rethink Recycling Champion award is meant to recognize the effOlis of the community that recycled the highest total pounds per per- son per year, focusing on glass. paper, metaL and plastic materials. RaIllsey residents recycled a whopping 221 pounds per person in 2008! Remember, all food aIld beverage glass containers, aluminum. steel and tin cans, #s 1 & 2 plastic containers with necks. paper and cardboard can all be placed directly in the recycling CaIi without being separated. Keep up the great work! For more information regarding Ramsey's recycling programs, please contact Environmental Coordinator Chris Anderson at 763-433-9905 or email at canderson@ Cl.raIllSeY.mn.us. ~~Q<""' ~~A~ ~~ Water demaIld and usage typi- cally shoots up during tlle summer months as we try to keep our lawns green. This is especially true here in Ramsey due to our sandy soils. Dur- ing the summer months, water usage in RaIllsey triples. The City Council has identified water conservation as a concern and is exploring water conservation tools that could be implemented to lessen the water demaIld. Steps that the city has already taken include an odd/even sprinkling ban, restricting the time of day when sprinkling is permitted, ~ Emerald Ash Borer in Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). an invasive insect from Asia. has now been found in Minnesota. It was discovered on an ash tree in St. Paul in mid May. This insect could have a devastating impact across the state. It appears to attack all types of ash trees. The insect is bronze or golden green with dark metallic green wings, and about Y4 to Y2 inch in length. However, it is the larval stage that causes the serious daIllage. The lar- vae can be 1-1 Y4 inches long. aIld are CreaIll colored with a brown head. The larvae feed on the tree between the inner bark aIld wood, which disrupts the tree's ability to traIlSpOli water aIld nutrients. Signs ofEAB infestations include dieback in the upper canopy and braIlches that sprout from the trunk of the tree. Other signs include bark splitting, S- shape galleries under bark, aIld D-shaped holes where the adult insect emerges from the tree. If you suspect ail infestation or if you think you have seen ail Emerald Ash Borer beetle, please contact Envi- ronmental Coordinator Chris Anderson at 763-433-9905 or canderson@ci.ramsey.mn.us or the MN Depmiment of Agriculture's Arrest the Pest hotline at 651-201-6684. For more information about EAR please visit www.emeral- dashborer.info. Topsoil now Required for New Construction requiring rain sensors and irrigation permits for in-ground systems. The newest tool is a topsoil ordi- nance that applies to new construc- tion. This ordinaIlce was adopted in April. It requires the installation of four inches of topsoil to all dis- turbed areas whenever a new home. multifamily building or commercial or industrial building is constmcted. TopsoiL especially topsoil with a high organic content. has a much higher water holding capacity than sand. While not the complete solution to water conservation, requiring topsoil is another step in the right direction. Ramsey's Environmental Policy Board is in the process of developing some educational materials focus- ing on water conservation strategies aIld practices. This 'tool box' will be available later this summer on the city's website. If you have any ques- tions concerning tlle topsoil require- ments, please contact Environmental Coordinator Chris Anderson at 763- 433-9905 or email at canderson@ Cl.raIllSeY.mn.us. www.ci.ramsey.mn.us 5