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<br />Board Member Freeburg stated that Paul Anton, Director of Research at Wilder Research <br />will speak. Mr. Anton pulled together a study that appeared in the newspaper on how <br />open space affects the economic value of properties. Board Member Freeburg explained <br />that Wilder Research researched three studies of 100,000 real estate transactions in the <br />metro area. Mr. Anton will present on Monday, May 14,2007 at 6:30 p.m. <br /> <br />Chairperson McDilda stated this will be a televised event in the Council Chambers. <br /> <br />Conservation Finance Discussion <br /> <br />This item was tabled for lack of discussion. <br /> <br />Case #2 Prototype of an Electronic Tree Book <br /> <br />Board Member Max presented an example of what an electronic Tree Book could look <br />like. He referenced a Department of Transportation website. The Department of <br />Transportation has grants that communities use to get free planting stock and a plan, so <br />long as it is put in and guaranteed for three years of maintenance to get established. They <br />started doing so many of these plans that people were overwhelmed. Board Member <br />Max stated he built a database and put it on the web. That database has trees, shrubs, <br />flower, and ferns. He used a derivative of that to create the first Ramsey Tree Book. He <br />stated that this derivative was used for a project he participated in to do street tree master <br />plans. The concept is, if starting from scratch like Ramsey, to assist with making a plan. <br />He stated he put in a scheme to prioritize the plan. <br /> <br />Board Member Max presented a visual of the www.treesavvy.com/StreetTreeDesigner/ <br />website. He indicated that the web user can select physical characteristics, soil <br />properties, tolerances, and provinance results. He stated this is being used for another <br />project, but it would be easy to adapt something similar to the Ramsey Internet site. He <br />stated he has a degree in computer science so his experience could lend to the City's <br />benefit. <br /> <br />Board Member Max demonstrated the web features for the Board, by experimenting with <br />the website to choose common tree names based on selection criteria. <br /> <br />Chairperson McDilda commented that not only is this an interesting tool to be used by <br />the City, but to be used also by developers. <br /> <br />Board Member Max explained that growth rate can be added as one of the selection <br />criteria. He demonstrated that the website has a reasonable response rate. <br /> <br />Board Member aids asked where the data was compiled from. <br /> <br />Board Member Max responded that he used probably about 90 books by universities and <br />arboreta around the country as a resource. <br /> <br />Environmental Policy Board/May 7, 2007 <br />Page 3 of6 <br />