6.2 at 1 Camp Cozy Park_NRMP_2023

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77 Friends of the Mississippi River Camp Cozy Park NRMP OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Hunting To manage the population of white-tailed deer, the City of Elk River organizes a controlled archery hunt in Camp Cozy during the archery season (mid-September to the end of December). Two hunters are permitted to hunt within Camp Cozy from elevated deer stands. Since the property will be open to hunting during that period, several measures will need to be taken to ensure that the property is restored safely. First, restoration crews will need to be notified that hunting is occurring on the property, and crews should wear brightly colored clothing to denote their presence. While this is standard for most contractors, care should be taken to remind them of this during the first and subsequent site visits. Temporary signage is typically erected at the southern parking area to alert visitors that hunting is occurring on the property. Tree Disease (Dutch elm disease, Emerald ash borer, Oak wilt, Bur oak blight) Dutch Elm Disease and Emerald Ash Borer There are many elms and large green and black ash trees growing within the oak, terrace and floodplain forests along the Elk River at the site. These trees are not only ecologically valuable but are also at high risk to attack from non-native tree pests. Elms are susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease and Ash are susceptible to Emerald Ash Borer. These tree pests have caused widespread mortality of elms and ash throughout the eastern United States and in Minnesota. Dutch Elm disease is a fungal infection caused by the fungus Ceratocystis ulmi, which is native to Asia and is spread by both native and non-native bark beetles (family: Curculionidae). Once the fungus is introduced onto a tree, the tree reacts by sealing its own xylem tissues (conduits of water and nutrients) to prevent further spread. This effectively prevents water and nutrients from reaching the upper branches, causing gradual die-off as more and more of the xylem is sealed. Symptoms include a yellowing and browning of leaves that spreads from the outer crown toward the trunk. Dutch elm disease was first recorded in Minnesota near Monticello in 1961 and has since spread throughout the state. Minnesota relied heavily on American elms (Ulmus americana) as shade trees on streets, with about 140 million in the state at the time of the outbreak. The disease is now present in all Minnesota counties, though elms remain an important component of many Minnesota forests. Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a non-native wood-boring beetle from Asia that was first identified in the United States in the summer of 2002. Likely transported from Asia to Michigan in ash wood used for pallets and other shipping materials, the beetle has now been confirmed in 36 states, including Minnesota. The beetle works by depositing larvae under the bark of the tree; these larvae then feed on the wood, eventually disrupting enough of the phloem to prevent the transport of nutrients throughout the tree. While Minnesota’s cold weather can stymie the spread of the beetle, it continues to spread and is present in Sherburne County and at Camp Cozy.