Best Practice Action Detail

The Golden Valley Forestry Department follows industry tree and shrub planting best management practices and uses MnDOT specifications for all street reconstructions and projects such as the Highway 55 Lilac Project. Golden Valley also uses aerial photos and digital inventorying to determine where more cover or more diverse cover is needed in the City. Planting projects are monitored for success and practices are re-evaluated as needed

In 2022, the City passed Ordinance #334, titled Public Tree Care, Tree Diseases and Infestations. This ordinance describes best practices, prohibits harming public trees, and discusses steps needed for tree diseases within the community.

Section 7.37 of the zoning code requires a tree to be planted with each new home constructed.

The City adopted an Urban Forest & Shade Tree Management Comprehensive Manual. The best practices are also codified in Savage City Code Ch. 102.

Section 31-522 of city code lays out regulations to protect trees on slopes and requires a tree protection plan must be submitted for concept PUD or preliminary subdivision plan review, or be included with submission of a grading plan if not a part of a subdivision or PUD.

On public projects Bloomington’s engineering division uses MN DOT standards to develop specifications to ensure proper soil composition and plant installation. Guidelines for tree and shrub planting on private development projects are in Chapter 19 section 52 of the City Code. Bloomington City staff maintains a gravel bed nursery with a diverse mix of 15 tree species. This system allows staff to plant trees during optimal seasons and encourages extensive root growth that leads to successful establishment and long term survival. The diversity is intended to add resilience to the urban forest and reduce the impact of future invasive pests.

On page 153 of the zoning ordinances for the City of La Crescent, it outlines substantial best practices for tree planting, maintenance, and preservation. We also have a tree board which has been working on our Tree City USA recognition. Being the Apple Capital of MN we have a commitment to trees and preserving them for future generations.

Maplewood has adopted the MN DNR planting guidelines for all public tree planting, and requirements for tree planting within private development projects. Maplewood's tree preservation ordinance includes tree standards with tree planting best practices.

Completed. The City plants bareroot trees using an in-house Missouri Gravelbed Nursery system and follows MnDOT Landscape Specialist recommendations for quality, selection and planting guidelines.

The City of St. James purchases bare root trees from a nursery and starts them off in a gravel rock bed. In the fall we transfer them from the gravel rock bed to the city boulevards. The City follows industry tree and shrub planting best management practices and uses MnDOT specifications for all street reconstructions and projects. Boulevard trees in St. James are planted, pruned, and maintained by the Street/Park Department. The Ci also removed dead trees or trees with diseases and infestations for public safety and replants them with MN native trees. The City purchases 50-100 bare root trees a year to replace the trees that have been removed. The City is working on implementing tree diversification project in response to EAB.

Saint Paul uses a number of strategies to fund annual tree planting, including a regular annual CIB Citywide tree planting budget of over $300,000; an Emerald Ash Borer Management Program that replants a minumum 1:1 for every ash tree removed; replanting as a part of public works and other parks reconstruction projects; thousands of smaller seedlings/sapplings planted as part of park restoration projects; and annual outreach partnership planting projects--some on private property--using innovative gravel bed tree stock. Best planting practices are used in all cases, for example, from the use of tree growth tubes in planting sapplings for restoration projects, to the construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Green Line where 1000 new trees were planted in an innovative tree trench using C.U. Structural Soil that doubles as storm water quality/infiltration green infrastructure.

The city of Saint Peter adopted a regulation through the council which identifies what trees and where they can be planted in the community. Trees are planted along boulevards in Saint Peter and are pruned, maintained and can be removed as may be necessary to ensure public safety, public access, or to enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds.

The City of Albert Lea Forestry Department follows industry best management practices.

The City of Fergus Falls has both a Dutch Elm and an Emerald Ash Borer program to monitor and remove effective and diseased trees. We annually plant 180 – 200 boulevard trees to replace affected areas.

The city of Hutchinson adopted policies that outlines what trees and where they can be planted in the community. Boulevard trees in Hutchinson are planted, pruned, maintained, and can be removed as necessary to ensure public safety or public access. The city follows industry tree and shrub planting best management practices and uses MNDOT specifications for all street reconstructions and projects. The city has also implementing tree diversification project in response to EAB.