Title
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A FIVE-YEAR LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF MINNESOTA FOR BIOCONTROL OF EMERALD ASH BORER AT HARTLEY PARK.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the proper city officials are hereby authorized to execute a five-year license agreement, substantially the same as the agreement attached as Exhibit 1, with the State of Minnesota, acting through its Commissioner of Agriculture, for biocontrol of emerald ash borer in Hartley Park, at no cost to the city.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution authorizes a five-year license agreement with the State of Minnesota, acting through its Commissioner of Agriculture, for biocontrol of emerald ash borer in Hartley Park, at no cost to the city. The portion of Hartley Park subject to the License Agreement is shown on the map attached as Exhibit 2.
The emerald ash borer ("EAB") is an Asian beetle that feeds on ash trees and has rapidly spread in the United States and eastern Canada. In spring 2017, EAB was found in a black ash stand in the northwest portion of Hartley Park.
Biocontrol is a long-term management strategy used for sustained control of invasive pests. This approach is generally limited to pests that have been established for more than five years, cannot be eradicated, and cause significant ecological, environmental, or economical damage. Biocontrol involves studying the biology of the pest, determining where it is native, and exploring those areas for predators that coevolved with the target pest and specifically attack it.
Biocontrol is the only management option that can be applied at the forest landscape level. Hartley Park meets the State's criteria for EAB biocontrol and represents the first opportunity in Duluth to attempt to establish biocontrol agents. Therefore, the State wishes to undertake, at no cost to City, measures to biologically control EAB in Hartley Park (the "Project"). The goal of the Project is to use natural predator...
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