Agenda - Council - 11/14/1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: RE: P.I.N.: Mark Banwart, Community Development Director Bruce Bacon, Environmental Specialist October 20, 1989 Steve Gorecki, 14140 Azurite St. N.W., Ramsey 27-32-25-44-0002 Mr. Gorecki requested a site visit to ascertain whether or not stored diseased haz,'u'dous wood is present on his lot. Mr. Gorecki has a "Grounds Maintenance Service", including tree work, (clearing, planting and maintenance). In the current woodpile, for firewood and saw logs, Mr. Gorec 'ld estimates 50 cords of material sits on the lot now. Very little bark is intact on the elm wood is currently visible. Several species of saw logs and fkewood are stored here, some split, some ready to split, and some saw logs. There is no brush currently stored here. I did not see much red oak with tight bark on it. A few red oak limb pieces had wilt spore mats visible. Cottonwood, walnut, the little debarked elm, and white/burr oak were present. Regarding disease hazard, we should note that elm and oak are dormant as far as spreading to new infections from late summer until spring. The pieces of red oak in a pile that have old oak wilt spore mats need to be removed (or edges covered and sealed) by April 1st. There are some red oak pieces with bark intact in a pile, and their hazard cannot be assessed without completing piece by piece assessment. Mr Gorec 'ki would not estimate what the origin or disease infection of the wood is, but wants to comply with his on-site practices. Mr. Gorecki notes that he is familiar with disease control practices, that his business is in a disease control zone, and that he is intent on complying on a year-round basis with the ordinance, now that there is one. Technically, because of the season, Mr. Gorec 'ki is in compliance. A spring-time inspection of woodpiles needs to be made to determine compliance at that time. IX'n-. Gorecki has no problem if the City wants to make at least annual (or periodic) inspection of residential and business piled wood, including his. Clearly, the frequency of inspection would need to be often to ascertain the presence or transfer of diseased wood through any such site unless there is voluntary and 'knowledgeable application of such rules of sorting wood by origin. It is at a point of origin that t'e disease hazard is best assessed; that is, oak and elm are more easily diagnosed in their uncut context. From now until April 1, 1990, there is no particular disease hazard. My recommendation is that further technical information needs to be gathered and applied as to spread by resale of such wood as to disease hazard. M.r. Gorecld has a Certified Tree Inspector on his staff at this time, so that continuing evaluation of the disease hazard could be monitored by his staff person in between City inspections, if so directed. Basically, because of the potential spread of oak, elm (other Fee) diseases through resale of firewood, NO diseased elm or oak wood should transfer through this business in the disease control zone. BFB:ccr