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2014-2015AssociationOfficersPres. TomTraumann 332.4411VP FranWalsh 478-5752Treas. SharonAdams 478-3267Sec. KristinKelly215-872-4404Directors/DistrictRepresentativesDist.1 KristinKelly215-872-4404Dist.2 FranWalsh 478-5752Dist.3 JackTommer 479-0212Dist.4 PatrickMartin 655-3717Dist.5 ChuckLandry 429-8664Dist.6 GregLavelle 478-6128Dist.7 LindaWilson 658-8742Dist.8 MikeStetter 478-7059Dist.9 TomTraumann 478-4058DeedRestrictions/ArchitectureFranWalsh 478-5752StreetsandSnowRemovalChuckLandry 429-8664EmergencyTreeRemovalMattHouston 622-8123BoardMeetings:2/9,3/9,4/13,5/11,6/8HalloweenParade:TBAAnnualMeeting:3/16/15ParkClean-up:3/21/15GarageSale:6/6/15

SharpleyCivicAssociation

ADeedRestrictedCommunitywww.sharpleycivic.org2015WinterNewsletter

EmeraldAshBorer:ImminentThreattoSharpleyTheEmeraldAshBorerisaninvasivebeetlefirstdiscoveredinsoutheasternMichigannearDetroitinthesummerof2002.Formoreinformation,visithttp://www.emeraldashborer.info.Thissiteisthemostdefinitivesourceofinformationontheboreravailableanywhere.Pleasereaditandbecomefamiliarwiththethreat.Ourwebsiteatwww.sharpleycivic.orghasaveryinformativevideoeveryoneneedstolookat.

WheredoDelawareandSharpleystand?TheDelawareDepartmentofAgriculturehaswarnedthattheborerhasspreadtoeverystatesurroundingDelaware,andisexpectedtobegininfestingDelawaretreesinaslittleasoneyear.Sharpleyhas351greenandwhiteashtrees,andeachofthesetreeswillbekilledbytheborerwithinoneyearofinfestationifnotproperlytreated.

Canashtreesbeprotectedfromtheborer?Treesaretreatedbyinjectinganinsecticideeitherintothegroundaroundatree,ordirectlyintothebarkofthetree.Treatmentshavetoberepeatedevery12to24monthsandcostapproximately$100pertreeforeachapplication.

Whatistheoverallconditionofourstreettrees?Wealsomustconsiderthatmostofourstreettrees,notjusttheashtrees,havealreadyreachedthe50yearaveragelifeexpectancyoflargetreeswithrestrictedrootsystemsandareshowingsignsofstressanddecline.Evenwithouttheborer,wewillneedtoreplacedyinganddiseasedtreesatanincreasingrateoverthenext10to20years.

Whatdoesthismeanfinancially?Ourbudgetresourceswillbestretchedbeyondourcurrentcapacity,andwewillneedtodevelopasoundstrategyforreplacinglargenumbersofagingtreeswhilekeepingtheboreratbay.Ifwedonothingall351ofourashtreescanbekilledinaslittleasfiveyears.

Theaveragecosttoreplaceamatureashtree,includingremoval,stumpgrindingandreplanting,variesfrom$1500to$2,000.Thatworksouttoatotalreplacementcostoffrom$535,500to$714,000.Ifspreadover5years,thatamountstobetween$107,100and$142,800peryear,allontopofallourothercostsoftreemanagementandsnowremoval.Comparethattoourcurrentstreettreebudgetof$18,000peryear.

Ifweopttotreatourashtrees,wecanexpecttospendroughly$35,700every12to24months,asmallfractionofthecostofremovingallourashtrees,butstillahugesum.

WhathastheSharpleyBoardbeendoing?Ourboardandstreettreecommitteehavebeenworkingonthisissuesincelastspring.Wehavebeenstudyingdifferentoptionsfordealingwiththethreat,anddiscussingtheissuewithothercivicassociationsandwiththestateUrbanForester’soffice.LastOctoberwealsoparticipatedinastatesponsoredconferencefocusedonthe

borerthreat.Wewouldliketobeabletotellyouthatthestatehasfundstohelpusdealwiththisproblem,butthatisnotnowthecase.

WhatcanIdo?Ifweexpecttosuccessfullyovercomethethreatposedbythisinfestation,wewillneedthesupportandparticipationofthecommunityinboththeplanningandexecutionofourstrategy.WeplantousetheannualmeetingonMarch16thtodiscusstheissueandtoofferalternativesfordealingwiththeborerandtreereplacementingeneral.Yourquestionsandrecommendationswillbeincorporatedintoourplanning.Wewillneedtoorganizevolunteerstohelpwithoureffort,andwewillneedtodeterminehowwewillcommunicateoursituationandneedstoourneighbors.Wehopetoleavethemeetingwithaclearideaofwhateachofuscandobothindividuallyandasacommunity.Buildingcommunityawarenessandsupportwillbeourfirstorderofbusiness.ThemostimportantthingsyoucandorightnowaretocontactyourdistrictrepresentativeandvolunteertobeapartoftheefforttostoptheborerandtoattendtheannualmeetingattheUnitarianChurchonMarch16that7pmintheParrishHall.Pleasemarkyourcalendarandmakeplanstobethere.

FeedingParklandDeerisaBadIdea.ThedeerpopulationinWoodleyParkandinthesurroundingparklandshasbeenincreasingovertheyears.Asthepopulationgrowsbeyondasustainablelimit,theirbrowsingbeginstodamageparklandvegetation.TheyalsowanderintoSharpleymorefrequentlylookingforfood,wheretheydamagelandscapingandencounterpets,residentsandmotorvehicles,creatingdangeroussituationsforbothdeerandpeople.Deerweakenedbyhungeraremorelikelytobediseased,and,whiledeerarenottheonlyanimalsthatcarryticks,theyareamajorhost.

Feedingdeerwillprovideshorttermfoodforhungryherds,butitneverprovidesareliablesourceofnourishment.Instead,itonlyattractsmoredeerintothearea,increasingthelikelihoodofharmtotheenvironment,thedeerandourselves.Please,don’tfeedthedeer,theyarenotpetsandtheyarenothelpedbymisguidedattemptstofeedthem.