[0:00] Hi, I'm Greg Lindberg, Burnsville city [0:03] manager. [0:04] [music] I'm out to see firsthand the [0:06] people and the jobs that keep Burnsville [0:08] running. All right, [0:09] >> from police officers and firefighters to [0:11] crews in our parks and streets, [0:13] >> I'm bad at this. [0:14] >> And the staff [music] inside city hall [0:15] who serve our community every day, these [0:18] are the faces and the stories behind the [0:20] services [music] that make our city [0:21] work. This is the work we do. [0:25] Burnsville's forestry department manages [0:27] more than 15,000 trees across our city. [0:30] Work that keeps our community safe, [0:32] healthy, and looking good. That means [0:34] checking tree health, removing storm [0:36] damage, and staying on top of invasive [0:38] species. Today, I'm joining forestry [0:40] supervisor Brian Alvin to help with some [0:43] cleanup and see firsthand what it takes [0:45] to care for Burnsville's urban forests. [0:47] So, tell me what a typical day looks [0:48] like for the forestry team. [0:49] >> Sure. Our division, we're responsible [0:51] for maintaining and managing all trees [0:53] on city property. So that includes city [0:56] parks, city rightways, and also other [0:58] public spaces like city buildings. And [1:01] so we're responsible for the pruning of [1:03] those trees, the watering, the mulching, [1:05] and occasionally the removal of those [1:07] trees if they present a safety issue. [1:09] >> That's a big job. So tell me what comes [1:11] first when you're deciding what trees [1:13] need what attention. [1:14] >> Well, safety is our number one priority. [1:16] So, if a tree is dead or it presents a [1:20] safety issue, like say it has a a crack [1:22] or a split in the bark or a branch [1:24] that's hanging down that's broken, [1:26] that's our first priority cuz we want to [1:28] make sure we mitigate any risk to the [1:30] public. [1:31] >> Storms and age aren't the only threats. [1:33] One of the biggest challenges right now [1:34] is emerald ashbor. Brian, what's emerald [1:37] ashbor and how are we treating trees [1:40] here in Burnsville? Emerald ashbor is an [1:42] invasive insect and what it does is it [1:45] cuts off the treere's ability to [1:47] transport water and nutrients which ends [1:49] up eventually killing the tree. It's [1:51] killed millions of trees in the United [1:53] States. It was first discovered in [1:55] Burnsville in 2018 and we currently [1:58] treat about 1500 trees. What does that [2:00] treatment process look like? [2:01] >> The treatment method that we recommend [2:03] is the trunk injection treatment. So our [2:05] contractor drills small holes into the [2:07] trunk of the tree and inject the [2:09] pesticide directly into it. The tree [2:10] takes it up and it protects the tree for [2:12] two to three years. [2:13] >> Emerald ashbor is a big challenge, but [2:15] our forestry team is working hard to [2:17] respond to the invasive species and [2:18] protect Burnsville's tree canopy. [2:24] Residents often ask about trees on their [2:26] property. That's another place our [2:27] forestry team helps out. What should [2:30] residents know about which trees the [2:32] city manages and which are their [2:34] responsibility? Well, on residential [2:36] streets such as this, there's uh the [2:38] city right ofway that is the dedicated [2:40] public use area. So, we're responsible [2:42] for trees that are located on public [2:44] property and that includes the right [2:46] ofway. But if the tree is outside of the [2:47] rightway and it's a private tree, [2:48] [music] then that's the responsibility [2:50] of the homeowner, the maintenance, the [2:52] pruning, the watering. But of course, if [2:54] they have any questions, we are [2:55] professionals. We can give them advice [2:57] and point them in the right direction. [2:58] >> So, if a homeowner has a question or a [3:00] concern about a tree in their yard, they [3:02] can [music] still give you a call. [3:03] >> Absolutely. Anytime. and we're here to [3:04] be a resource. [3:06] >> Brian, you mentioned you had some work [3:08] lined up for me today. [3:09] >> Yeah, we sure do, Greg. So, a common [3:11] request we get from other city [3:12] departments or from residents [music] is [3:14] to raise the height of the tree in order [3:16] to get proper clearance over streets, [3:18] sidewalks, or in this case over the turf [3:20] grass so the parks department can mow [3:22] underneath it. And so, to get that done [3:24] and to do it properly, we're going to [3:25] bring in the big ticket, our veteran [3:26] arborist, Steve Watson, and he's going [3:28] to show you how it's done. But before we [3:30] do that, you got to get geared up with [3:31] the proper personal protective [3:33] equipment. [3:39] >> All right, Steve, I finally got the gear [3:41] on. What do you want me to do? [3:42] >> We're going [music] to trim out the [3:43] lower limbs on the tree. And we're going [3:45] to start with this limb right here. All [3:46] right. [music] [3:49] From a small trim to a full removal, our [3:53] forestry team works to keep our public [3:55] spaces safe. [music] [3:58] Brian, Steve, thank you for everything [4:00] you do. You keep Burnsville looking [4:01] great, our community safe. Really [4:03] appreciate you and your team and uh [4:05] showing me a little more about what you [4:06] do every day. Thanks for coming out. [4:08] Thanks for your help. As you've seen [4:09] today, caring for Burnsville's trees is [4:11] no small task. Trees make our community [4:14] healthier and more resilient. From [4:16] planting and trimming to removing [4:18] hazardous trees and managing invasive [4:21] species, our forestry team [music] works [4:23] yearround to care for the city's urban [4:25] forest. Their work keeps our parks and [4:29] streets safe for everyone to enjoy. [4:31] [music]