Arbor Day serves as reminder of importance of trees

BRAINERD — Trees cool cities, reduce pollution, help ensure clean drinking water and provide oxygen.

And on this Arbor Day, it’s a good time to remember the importance trees play in communities across the country — and of the work needed to maintain those trees.

In a forested area where trees seem plentiful it might be difficult to realize all the benefits a single tree can provide, especially in a city and in an area with development pressure. Another challenge is already here as ash trees are lost to the emerald ash borer.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture on Jan. 29 confirmed emerald ash borer in Crow Wing County after larvae were found, samples were collected and federal identification confirmed the samples as emerald ash borer .

The insect larvae kills ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk.

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

“Every dollar spent on planting and caring for a community tree yields benefits that are two to five times that investment — benefits that include cleaner air, lower energy costs, improved water quality and storm water control and increased property values,” the U.S. Forest Service reported.

A tree can withstand an attack from a couple of emerald ash borer beetles, said Jonathan Osthus, emerald ash borer technical assistance coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, but the problem is the insect reproduces fast and in short order thousands can be on a tree, destroying it from the top down.

For Brainerd’s tree-lined streets, the emerald ash borer arrives after the ash trees grew to replace another tree decimated by a disease. The canopied graceful elm trees that were once a staple of American cities, fell victim to Dutch elm disease. The University of Minnesota noted the disease caused wild and death in all species of elm trees native to the state.

When the disease decimated the area’s elm trees, ash trees were often planted in their place. Now the University of Minnesota reported hundreds of millions of White, black and green ash trees are being killed by the emerald ash borer across North America.

“Minnesota has one of the largest ash populations in the country with close to one billion ash trees in cities and forests,” the university reported. “Losing these ash trees can have extreme ecological consequences on our urban tree canopies and forest ecosystems.”

The university noted treating ash trees with an insecticide injection is an effective way to protect them and there are benefits to even treating half of the trees as that helps preserve the conditions of nearby untreated ash trees, which can be important as businesses and cities are looking at costs. Insecticides need to be used every two or three years.

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

So what does that mean for the community?

Jim Kramvik, Brainerd community development director, said that is something he is currently working on and will likely present a plan before the next Parks and Recreation Board to get feedback.

Kramvik said city park areas are not in a bad place based on when trees were planted and current development.

“Gregory Park is a really good example of really having a lot of mixed varieties in it,” Kramvik said of the central park in the city’s north side. “Other than, I think maybe five years ago, there were a lot of maple trees planted in the boulevard, but Gregory Park as a whole is in a pretty good spot. The one that has the most ash trees in there, in mowed areas, would be Kiwanis Park.”

Kramvik said he is going to recommend doing tree injections in Kiwanis Park.

Brainerd has a tree inventory for public trees in mowed areas. It isn’t decided yet, but Kramvik said they are looking at removing ash trees on boulevards instead of injecting them and replanting a different variety of trees, but nothing has been finalized at this point for the tree policy or ordinance. Questions remain on whether that would entail removing so many trees per year.

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

“Most likely we're looking at a complete loss within five to seven years, maybe 10 at the most,” Kramvik said.

Kramvik said the city did $50,000 in park tree planting last year and tried to stress the variety of trees in the parks. Residents are encouraged to plant trees on the boulevard but the city doesn’t have an incentive to do it and the city is responsible for boulevard trees.

The issue is likely to be before the Brainerd City Council in another month or so.

Numerous ash trees are also located at Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd. In an effort to thwart the spread of emerald ash borer, several ash trees will be removed, said Anthony Matt, media relations specialist with Essentia Health.

“We’ve working with professionals to mitigate the spread of ash borer there,” Matt said. “We decided, based on their recommenation, the best thing for us to do is treat about half of the trees and then remove the other half.”

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

For communities, there is quite a bit at stake in the outcome of efforts to stopping the spread of emerald ash borer.

“Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities,” the Arbor Day Foundation reported. “They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities.

“Neighborhood trees have shown the ability to reduce stress, improve overall health and development in children, and encourage physical activity. And a healthy communitywide tree canopy fosters economic advantages as well as an increase in civic pride among residents.”

Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

• Tree shade cools cities by up to 10 degrees. 

• Trees support wildlife and aquatic life by providing habitat and helping to keep waterways healthy. 

• Trees and other forest life work together to ensure a clean source of drinking water, buffer against extreme weather, provide medicines, offer outdoor recreation, and enrich human culture.

• Global forests removed about one-third of fossil fuel emissions annually from 1990 to 2007.

• Computer models devised by the U.S. Department of Energy predict that the proper placement of only three trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.

• Trees remove pollution from the atmosphere, improving air quality and human health.

• In Chicago, trees remove more than 18,000 tons of air pollution each year.

• Roadside trees reduce nearby indoor air pollution by more than 50%.

• One large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people.

• Office workers with a view of trees report significantly less stress and more satisfaction.

• Forested watersheds provide quality drinking water to more than 180 million Americans.

• Forested watersheds provide quality drinking water to more than 180 million Americans.

• During one year, a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen in exchange.

• Nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced from burning one gallon of non-ethanol gasoline.

• Trees provide vital wildlife habitat.

• Among minor crimes, there is less graffiti, vandalism and littering in outdoor spaces with trees as a part of the natural landscape than in comparable plant-less spaces.

Source: Arbor Day Foundation