As part of its Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan, the Cottage Grove City Council approved a two-year contract for removal of ash trees.

The city adopted the plan in 2010 “to protect and maintain the city’s urban forest from this destructive insect,” a memo to the city council from city Public Works Director/ Engineer Ryan Burfeind states. “The plan includes an aggressive series of both insecticide treatments and diversification. Diversification includes the premature removal of ash trees and replacing those with alternate species.”

In 2020, 88 ash trees have been identified for removal, with a similar number expected next year.

Money for the project will come from the city forestry budget.

The approved bid went to Precision Landscape and Tree for the two years in the amount of $83,685. Two other firms bid on the project with the high bid at $129,410.

The city also approved a plan to spend $156,504 with Birch Tree Care for tree trimming in city boulevards in the next two years.

Burfeind told the council that 1,100 trees will be trimmed in 2021-2022.

Council member Dave Thiede asked that the tree trimming plan be taken off the consent agenda for more information.

“I wanted to just have our public works director explain this a little bit more,” he said, noting he wanted the benefits of the trimming program explained.

Burfeind told the council that the trees the city has ownership of are in city right of way.

“We do this work each year,” he told the council. “The city owns thousands of boulevard trees.”

He said one boulevard tree is required in front of properties in each development, two for corner lots.

“There’s three main things we’re trying to accomplish,” he said, the first being clearance from roads.

“We want to make sure we have clearance for larger vehicles,” he said. “Another one is the general health of the tree.”

The final is to keep trees – and limbs safe from storm damage.

“We don’t want thick canopies,” Burfeind said. “We want them looking nice with not a lot of branches that will come down during a wind storm.”

He said trees to be trimmed are on a set rotation and property owners are alerted of the trimming by mail ahead of time.