I have to respond to the “Growing a greener city” article (Feb. 4) by saying thank you for highlighting the need for more urban trees. However, Minneapolis is not the only city that needs this; in fact, in light of Dutch elm disease, development pressure, poor planting techniques and emerald ash borer (EAB), all cities in Minnesota are in dire need of more community trees.
The other point that needs to be addressed is that EAB will be ubiquitous in the near future throughout the state, and we can save our mature ash trees as opposed to just cutting them all down (there are approximately 2.65 million urban ash trees in Minnesota). The benefits derived from a mature ash tree are numerous, tangible and omnipotent, such as absorbing and slowing stormwater runoff, cooling our cities, increasing property values, providing habitat for wildlife and reducing air pollution/dust. Saving ash trees by chemical treatments is a low-cost, low-risk and effective means of tree protection; the current products used for EAB treatments are not neonicotinoids, and ash trees are not insect-pollinated.
Our State Urban Forest Council, the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee, has been advocating at the Legislature for funding multiple approaches for dealing with our decline in urban canopy. These approaches include properly planting a diversity of trees (planting costs are much higher than the $13 to $65 quoted in the article), actively removing declining and poorly conditioned trees, treating high-quality ash trees, improving maintenance practices (i.e., pruning) and enforcing municipal preservation ordinances.
Properly planting a bunch more trees in each city in Minnesota is fantastic, definitely needed and a worthy cause, but the cost of removing mature trees, when we don’t have to, is disastrous for citizens living in cities.
Contact your legislator to acquire funding for community trees. We’ll all breathe easier.
Jim Vaughan, St Louis Park
The writer is president of the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee.
RAY CHRISTENSEN
He brought us the sports action, and also some classical music
Learning of the passing of Ray Christensen last week (“U’s beacon in the booth,” Feb. 7) brought back memories of my childhood in the late 1950s and early ’60s. During the Gopher basketball season, I would listen to the games in my bedroom at night by turning off the lights, turning on my transistor radio and listening to Ray paint a vivid picture by describing the action. I truly felt like I was actually at those games. Thank you, Ray, for giving me those fond memories.
Tom Kierski, Fort Dodge, Iowa
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Although many will remember Christensen for his sports announcing, there are a group of us who remember as children his “Little Concert” programs on radio KUOM. Saturday mornings, he played classical music by request for young listeners. He helped us become familiar with classical pieces, performers, orchestras and directors, and helped us develop our appreciation and love for classical music. He was a gracious and kind host, and was a wonderful role model for his young listeners.
Lois Willand, Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS SUPER BOWL
Let’s leverage the exposure
One writer made an excellent point in these pages Wednesday — the many thousands of visitors the 2018 Super Bowl will attract to our metro are not the people most in need of volunteer assistance. But, love it or hate it, this event is going to happen, there’s no brighter spotlight anywhere, and the project does require an enormous volunteer effort. Maybe the host committee can leverage that energy to simultaneously do some real good.
It’s a great opportunity — what do you think, members of the Host Committee?
Bill Lorntson, Richfield
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With all the attention and resources the Super Bowl is bringing to or requiring of Minnesota, I hope that a significant share of both will go to preventing sexual exploitation and human trafficking, before, during and after the game.
Nancy Pike, Cameron, Wis.
Minnesota Legislature
Like others, I support Sherco because it’s good for the state
A Jan. 7 letter writer criticized my vote in support of a bill to permit Xcel Energy to build a new natural gas plant at the Sherco facility in Becker. The letter writer also implied I did so merely because of my association with Xcel Energy. This is demonstrably false; the plant would have zero financial impact on my family.
Gov. Mark Dayton and a bipartisan group of legislators and community leaders strongly support this bill for several reasons.
The proposed natural gas plant is only one part of a plan that includes a mix of wind and solar to replace two aging coal units at the Becker facility. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission recognizes that intermittent energy sources like wind and solar are not sufficient to guarantee the stability of the grid, and that a gas plant is necessary to replace the baseload power that will be lost when the coal facilities are shut down.
The bill also provides ratepayer protections by requiring an independent budgetary evaluation of the gas plant before construction. No costs associated with the plant can be charged to customers until Xcel proves the costs incurred were reasonable, prudent and in the public interest.
Finally, the natural gas plant provides security and confidence for residents of Becker. Sherco is the largest employer in the area and provides hundreds of good-paying jobs. It’s also responsible for three-fourths of the city’s property tax revenue, and over half of Sherburne County’s property tax revenue.
State Sen. Mike Goggin, R-Red Wing
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
More on Canada, DWIs
To a Feb. 6 letter writer regarding travel restrictions to Canada: In criticizing the Canadian letter writer (Jan. 31) who is choosing not to visit Minnesota because of our president’s travel ban, you complain that since 9/11, you “have not been guaranteed entry into Canada, along with tens of thousands of other Americans” because “I/they have a DWI on our record!” You go on to state that you “had no choice.” You are not correct. You chose to drive while intoxicated. You, sir, have been vetted. Canada is protecting its citizens from you. You have proved that you were willing to put others at risk of death due to your choice to drive while intoxicated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes.” That extrapolates to 100,000 deaths in the United States in 10 years due to persons who have chosen to drink and drive! Unlike with your situation, the travel ban that was imposed by our president was for refugees, green card and visa holders that had been vetted and were shown not to be of risk. I don’t have any increased fear of refugees over U.S. citizens, but I am very afraid of the real risks that, as you stated, “tens of thousands of other American” drunken drivers pose.
Mary Hearne, St. Louis Park
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If you are “rehabilitated” — no more felonies for five years after a DWI — you can enter Canada. If you are a felon attempting to enter the U.S., our new president says “no go.” And like the man said, it’s just a temporary ban.
Eric Weinberg, South St. Paul
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