Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 09/08/1994

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Goals of Community Forestry in Ramsey Our community forestry goals in Ramsey should focus on the following overlapping categories to include utilizati0n (recycling) and development of a managment strategy using the increasing information from Ramsey's forestry activities: conservation ~md preaerv&tion r~fo~stetion ~nd r~pl~c~m~t plm'~fing cnvironmcntel cd~c&~on/ s~owerdship 1. TREE CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION Thc City of Ram.. sey should work toward protection and preservation of our mature forest cover. There are several focus areas within this goal.. A. The city should develop a Tree Protection Policy in order to minimize tree damage during .development and construction processes. This policy would include mandatory tree protection zOnes which help mitigate disruption of habitats critical to native wildlife. B. Lowering tree loss frOm insects, disease, weather, and fires to .5% per year through active monitoring and control programs for insects and diseases should be a priority for the City of RamSey. Oak Wilt Disease has been a major pr6blem in the past. Currently the City runs an oak wilt control program through which the disease is tracked and monitored. The City has obtained cpst-share grants from the State of Minnesota DNR for prevention among homeowners. The City should continue this monitoring and active control. This may mean mandatory disease control measures. It should be noted that as development activity wains and species diversity stabilizes and imporves, disease andinsect impacts gradually are reduced in severity. C. The City should work toward designation of suitable biological communities and natural area:forest corridors. Examples may include the Trott Brook Trail Corridor, the Rum River Corridor, : or the Mississippi Corridor. Additionally, management of forest areas which provide special habitat such as Mississippi and Rum River Corridors should be a priority. The City should an~yze the current land uses occuring on the rivers to assess where critical wildlife resources exist, where breaches in the riparian landscape may be, and what protection measures should be taken. x. 2. REFORESTATION AND REPLACEMENT OF TREES-j',. A. In managed landscapes, public significant and .specimen trees should have a process for repl~acement when lost to insects, disease, or weather. Incentives or programs for privately managed trees should be considered. B. Provisions must be in place for replacement c~f trees lost to construction and _ development.