6.2. SR 02-16-2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sherburne Soil and WaterConservation District 14855 Highway 10 Elk River, MN 55330 Ph. (763) 241-1170 ext. 3 Fax (763) 241-1161 Website: www.sherburneswcd.org To: Elk River City Council From: Gina Hugo, Resource Conservationist CC: Michael Hecker, Park Director Tim Sevcik, Park Maintenance Superintendent Kristin Mroz, Environmental Specialist Date: January 26, 2016 Re: Community Forestry Programs Update Benefits Provided by Trees MN Shade Tree Advisory Committee The Soil & Water Conservation District has been coordinating community forestry programming throughout Sherburne County Communities since 2013. Over the last three years the efforts have expanded. Programs strive to engage community volunteers in tree planting and care. In 2015, the SWCD was awarded a full time GreenCorps Service Member for an 11- Consumption month term which has increased our capacity to serve Elk River and Reduced traffic speeds other communities within the County. The Citizen Pruner Program is a pilot program through the University of MN modeled after the highly successful volunteer program that originated in New York City. Certified volunteers all receive 8 hours of training and are required to pass a competency assessment. The SWCD has worked closely with Elk River Parks to utilize Citizen Pruners to assist with pruning maintenance of park and other city maintained landscapes. In 2016, the SWCD will be rolling out a new addition to the community forestry efforts called the My Neighborhood Trees Program. The goals of the pilot program are to increase resilience of existing neighborhood tree populations, identified as vulnerable; and to empower homeowners with knowledge and skills to plant more trees on their own. Your community tree population serves you and your residents. It is our pleasure to implement programs that contribute to its health and sustainability. We look forward to providing a brief update at your City Council meeting on February 16.