Square Lake Ash Borer Infestation Alert
According to the City of Marine on St Croix website, “William O’Brien State Park might look a little different the next time you visit. Park staff are removing trees infected by Emerald Ash Borers. Approximately 200 infected trees will be removed from high-traffic areas such as the campgrounds, day use area, and visitor center. These trees are being removed for public safety due to their high hazard potential as they become weakened by the infestation.
We ask that park visitors be patient with park staff and stay out of closed areas as cutting occurs. We also ask that you not move any of the cut timber to avoid further spread of the Emerald Ash Borer to unaffected areas.”
For more information about Emerald Ash Borer and its effects, visit the MN DNR website: Emerald ash bore (EAB)
In light of at least ten Ash Borer infested trees on my Square Lake property, and many more on adjacent properties, I sought out Ash Borer guidance recently from our Washington County and CMSCWD friends. In summary:
1) The Ash Borer problem is much more pervasive and daunting than previously known. The County is combatting the infestation, but struggling to keep up.
2) The news about Square Lake shoreland degradation, previously reported, is also very concerning.
3) We will attempt to get out in front of this, after further input from the experts. When we learn more about possible next-step actions, we’ll update you.
At least we now know about it. What to do in response, will be determined. One of the suggestions from SLA’s Water Steward Program leader, Lynn Mecum, is to convene a strategic planning meeting for all interested Association members with CMSCWD’s Mike Isensee and Tom Langer, which Lynn and Alicia Blanchard have kindly offered to organize.
It’s important that Square Lake Association leaders and members become familiar with this new information, so we can jointly make informed decisions on optimal next steps. Co-project leaders and volunteers are needed and welcome, as my and Lynn’s available time and competing priorities are stretched beyond the max – and both issues are mission-critical for the Lake and surrounding woodlands, requiring elevated attention, education, and near-term action.
Please scroll down, and read up for context on what we’ve recently learned. Co-project leaders are needed, welcome, and encouraged to source and engage a certified arborist to consult with us. Please email me if you’re willing to help.
From: Jim Seidl
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2024 4:19 PM
To: 'Matt Oldenburg-Downing; 'Mike Isensee'; 'Tom Langer'; 'Dan MacSwain' ; 'Connor Schaefer'; 'Lori Tella'
Subject: Ash Borer Around Square Lake: Path Forward Planning
Good afternoon, dear friends.
First and foremost, my heartfelt thanks for your immensely helpful and highly-valued responses on Thursday to my request for Ash Borer guidance.
Please know that I’m deeply impressed by, and grateful for, your kindness, expertise, and care.
Second, while your insight, information, and guidance are greatly appreciated, I must admit that I’m deeply concerned about, and challenged by:
1) Mike and Tom’s Square Lake Lakeshore Monitoring Results, and the unexpectedly Low score we received.
2) The pervasiveness of the Ash Borer infestation, the lack of a County-driven removal program for affected homeowners, and the time/cost that will be required to define and manage a remedial solution by those of us who are not tree experts, and have limited volunteer bandwidth to manage the problem-solving process.
As for challenge #1, Mike and Tom, your continuing guidance is needed, welcome, and appreciated. I understand my SLA colleague Lynn is planning to schedule either a follow-up Zoom or onsite meeting with you to follow-up and further plan our responsive strategy. I will share this email string with Lynn and our Board of Directors, and set in motion a next-step planning process and action plan.
As for challenge #2, Dan has kindly provided me with initial information links in his email below, for my SLA Board and members to learn more about the Ash Borer problem, and what those impacted should do to problem-solve.
As I informed Dan, the formidable scope of this problem in our community has taken me by surprise. I had no idea that the County has been applying such significant logging resources over the past 5 years to remove infected trees from the parks and pathways in the County.
Understanding that the County is unable to partner with homeowners on a cost- and resource-sharing basis, to remove the affected trees, I will apply best efforts to devise a plan, as suggested by Dan to:
1) Source and engage a certified arborist to consult with us, including:
b) BJ Haines
c) Woodchuck
2) I will also inform affected homeowners, based upon Dan’s insight, that:
a) Tree removal is preferable to chemical treatment of diseased trees for environmental reasons.
b) Only “high value” trees should be considered for restorative treatment under the guidance of a certified arborist, because of the detrimental effect of chemicals on lake water.
c) Dead trees are more expensive to remove than live trees.
d) Dead trees may be cut down and safely left on the ground to decompose naturally, or left standing if their eventual falling does not threaten buildings or roadways.
3) Additionally, now that we know that Square Lake’s Lakeshore Monitoring test score is so dreadfully low, we will aggressively encourage lake homeowners to engage Mike and Tom to design and implement shoreland restoration plans.
Hopefully, Lynn and I will be able to recruit additional volunteer resources to assist us with SLA member education and engagement on these two new, important challenges we face. Any additional guidance from your WC, WCD, and CMSCWD teams will also be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again to each of you for your kindness, responsiveness, and care.
Respectfully, with gratitude and commitment,
Jim
From: Tom Langer
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2024 3:34 PM
To: Jim Seidl
Cc: Mike Isensee; 'Carl Almer'
Subject: CMSCWD Lakeshore Monitoring Report
Hello,
I have attached the DRAFT 2023 Lakeshore Monitoring Report for your review and commenting. Please refrain from sharing this draft report until the final version of this report has been published. If you have any comments, please submit them back to me no later than Feb 2nd so they can be considered prior to final draft and posting of the report to the District website.
Thank you,
Tom Langer
Riparian Permit Specialist | Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District
11660 Myeron Rd North | Stillwater, MN 55082
Phone: (651) 275-7452 | Cell: 507-276-8056: www.cmscwd.org
From: Mike Isensee
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2024 2:24 PM
To: Matt Oldenburg-Downing; Jim Seidl; 'Connor Schaefer'; Tom Langer; Lori Tella
Subject: Ash Borer Around Square Lake: Request for Guidance
Hello Jim,
Thank you so much for reaching out with your question. It is extremely sad that the loss of ash in the watershed is underway and is going to be substantial. I agree with Matt’s guidance below for removal.
We are asking shoreline landowners on Square Lake to considering the following before cutting and removing them:
Square Lake’s shoreline is very low on downed woody materials and loafing logs: incredibly important habitat for fish, amphibians (turtles and frogs), invertebrates. The attached report is a summary of our shoreline health survey work on Square Lake in 2023. The data indicates we need 26 landowners on the lake to have downed woody material or loafing logs on their property shoreline to bring this habitat back to healthy levels on the lake.
What this means for landowners is if they have dying ash trees can be fell partially in the water without impacting their access and use, it can help restore a critical habitat that has been steadily declining on the lake.
Adding woody materials to the lake does require an MDNR permit, but we are happy to provide free technical assistance to identify good candidate trees (with the landowner) , permitting with MnDNR, and securing the tree after it is cut (for those that are mostly in the water so they do not float away).
Additionally, it is worth noting that dead standing trees that are not a hazard to structures is also great bird habitat; so leaving some standing dead trees (when they are not a hazard) is okay too.
Please let me know how we can be of assistance to encourage this practice on the lake.
Thank you,
Mike
Mikael Isensee
Administrator | Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District
11660 Myeron Rd North | Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 275-7451 | Cell: 612-839-6492: www.cmscwd.org
From: Matt Oldenburg-Downing
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2024 12:41 PM
To: Jim Seidl; 'Mike Isensee'; 'Connor Schaefer'
Subject: Ash Borer Around Square Lake: Request for Guidance
Thanks for reaching out, Jim, and sorry to hear about the damage to the trees in your area. The impact to the canopy in the metro has been quite intense and will be something we are recovering from for a while.
Unfortunately, I do not know of any programs for assistance with tree removal on private property, having recently had to pay for 2 trees to come down on my own. I did spend time looking but generally this is something that is the landowner’s responsibility. If any are on public land, I would recommend contacting the land manager for removal.
Any reputable tree company should be able to provide you with quality service, and you may be able to negotiate for a reduced cost on a neighborhood scale. Past that advice and assistance identifying trees there is nothing else the WCD can do (I assume the WD and County have a similar response). I was aware of grants to provide replacement trees, I am not sure if those are still available and what the process is, if you’d like to explore that more, I can connect you with one of the recipients.
Apologies for not having better news.
Matt
From: Jim Seidl
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2024 10:44 AM
To: 'Dan MacSwain'
Cc: 'Connor Schaefer'
Subject: Emerald Ash Borer Resources
Hi again, Dan.
Thanks for a helpful and productive call today, Dan, and for your thoughtful follow-up.
Thanks for referring Dan to me, Connor.
So grateful for all that the two of you do to make our world a better place.
I’ll dig into this in the days ahead with heightened concern and focus, now that I better understand the challenge we collectively face in response to this important invasive threat.
I’ll update you as I learn more, and take further action.
Best wishes,
Jim
From: Dan MacSwain
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2024 9:53 AM
To: Jim Seidl
Cc: Connor Schaefer
Subject: Emerald Ash Borer Resources
Jim,
Thank you for your efforts on spreading awareness around the impact of EAB to the community.
Below is a link to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Emerald Ash Borer Program.
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
o Please look at the homeowner resources tab.
I am also sharing the University of Minnesota Extension Website that discusses how to hire a tree care professional that can protect homeowners.
- https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/how-hire-tree-care-professional
Cheers,
Dan MacSwain | Natural Resource Coordinator II
Washington County Public Works Department
11660 Myeron Rd North, Stillwater, MN 55082
Phone: 651-430-4323
From: Jim Seidl
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 2:46 PM
To: 'Matt Oldenburg-Downing'; 'Mike Isensee'; 'Connor Schaefer'
Subject: Ash Bore Around Square Lake: Request for Guidance
Good afternoon, gentlemen:
A number of my neighbors, and I, regretfully have a significant number of Ash Borer infested trees on our property.
I’ve been told that there is no way to save these trees, and that it’s best to take them down. Here is a DNR overview on the subject: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/eab/index.html.
I recently counted at least 10 Ash Borer damaged trees on my property. My neighbors have many more.
We’re trying to determine how best to remove the trees. In that context, I thought you might know if either Washington County, or the DNR, has a removal program for Ash Borer damaged trees.
If so, would you please provide program referral information, for me to share with my neighbors.
If not, might there be a way for us to set-up such a program, that would utilize tree removal experts and equipment known and trusted by you - priced on a group discount, cost-share basis?
A group engagement, ideally managed by Washington County, would provide Square Lake homeowners with a valuable benefit. Reliable service. Beneficial pricing. An optimal way to control further tree destruction from Ash Borer.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks in advance for considering. My very best wishes, and warmest regards.
Respectfully,
Jim Seidl
President
Legal Research Center
LegalResearch.com
Jim.Seidl@LegalResearch.com
President, Square Lake Association: www.squarelake.org.
Co-Founder and Director, Square Lake Conservancy: Square Lake Conservation Fund.
Home: 651.439.7116
Cell: 612.325.8995