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About the Replant Minnehaha Trees Project
When the city needed to remove many trees along Minnehaha Ave this spring due to emerald ash borer infestation, the Hamline Midway neighborhood lost a significant portion of its beautiful and beneficial tree canopy through the heart of the neighborhood. Many neighbors feel that loss each time they walk out their front door or drive down Minnehaha Ave. Many were likewise disheartened to hear that the city would not be able to replant until 2023 at earliest. It’s understandable that the city’s resources are stretched thin in managing city-wide emerald ash borer infestation. But regrowing a tree canopy takes 20+ years, and it’s disappointing to have to add at least two years to that timeline. These trees are important to the neighborhood and the whole neighborhood would benefit from replanting them as soon as possible, potentially even in fall of 2021.
Read the latest updates
- Exciting news: Tree Trust has confirmed that the Replant Minnehaha Trees project is a recipient of their "Green Futures" replanting grant! This means Tree Trust will provide trees, tools, and planting expertise to get trees in the ground along Minnehaha Ave and surrounding streets this fall! The replanting date has been set for October 16, 1-4 […]
- Progress Toward Replanting MinnehahaThe Replant Minnehaha Trees project continues with leaps and bounds toward replanting this fall. Following a fundraising event on August 12, the project has reached its $16,000 funding goal! This means that the project could afford to cover stump-grinding for all of the trees that were removed along and near Minnehaha this […]
- Neighbors who want trees replanted: It's time to get your replanting permit applications filled out and signed! This one-page form is your official sign-up to be included in replanting this year. The Replant Minnehaha Trees project will collect the signed permit applications and submit them as a group to the City Forestry department. How to fill out […]
- You are invited! A launch party for the Replant Minnehaha Trees project is planned for Thursday, July 15, 3:00-6:30 p.m., with programming to start at 4:00. The event will take place on the east side of Hamline Church, 1514 Englewood Ave. It will include Russ Stark, St. Paul’s Chief Resiliency Officer, and representatives from the City’s […]
- Progress update!We have submitted our grant application to Tree Trust's "Green Futures" program to receive trees and planting expertise for our hoped-for replanting this fall! 🙌 While we wait to hear back on our grant application, visit the Tree Trust and Green Futures websites to learn more about this program. Many thanks to Trudy Dunham (Hamline […]
How Replant Minnehaha Trees Came About
Replant Minnehaha Trees was initiated by a group at Hamline Church
United Methodist called Hamline Church Earthkeepers, who see environmental justice and caring for creation as an important part of their faith commitment. This group heard many neighbors expressing a sense of loss in response to the removal of trees on or near Minnehaha, and frustration that there were so many barriers to replanting sooner than the three-year timeline proposed by the City of St. Paul. The Replant Minnehaha Trees project has grown into a broad community effort supported by a variety of neighborhood organizations, businesses, and individuals who wish to see the trees in the neighborhood replanted as soon as possible. These supporters include:
- Tree Trust
- Ginkgo Coffee Shop
- Mosaic on a Stick
- Midway Animal Hospital
- City of St. Paul Forestry Department
- Hamline Midway Coalition
- Hamline Midway Neighbors for Peace
- Hamline University
- Hamline Midway Progressive Women
- Friends of Horton Park
- Friends of Hamline Park
- Hamline Midway Elders
- Flying Pig Thrift
- Residents and Friends in the Neighborhood
If your local organization, business, or faith community would like to support this effort, please contact hamlineearthkeepers@gmail.com to join in!
City of St. Paul Replanting Plan
The City has publicized its current plan for replacing trees removed due to emerald ash borer infestation. This plan lays out tree removal in the first year, stump grinding in the second year, and replanting in the third year, at earliest. For the trees removed on or around Minnehaha Avenue in 2021, that would mean replanting in 2023 or later. Replant Minnehaha Trees is working to speed up this timeline, in hopes of replanting as early as fall 2021 and cutting two years off the timeline of regrowing the tree canopy lost to emerald ash borer. To that end, Replant Minnehaha Trees will work with the City of St. Paul Forestry Department to obtain the necessary permits and approval for stump grinding and replanting this year.
Goals of Replant Minnehaha Trees:
- Raise funds to pay for grinding stumps along Minnehaha Ave and surrounding streets in Summer 2021.
- Apply for a grant through The Tree Trust “Green Futures” program to receive replacement trees and coordination of replanting.
- Sign up 50+ locations where residents/homeowners wish to have trees replanted ASAP.
- Coordinate a group rate & city approval for stump grinding.
- Coordinate with residents, the city forestry department, and Tree Trust to select trees to replant and plan for long-term care and watering.
- Replant the boulevard in Fall 2021!
Sign up to participate and support Replant Minnehaha Trees
To sign up to have a tree replanted or to volunteer support for the project in some other way, please fill out the online survey at the link below. If you have technical issues with the survey, please let us know by emailing hamlineearthkeepers@gmail.com.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2CY93QV
Donations Toward Costs of Stump Grinding
The initial barrier to replanting is the cost of grinding stumps of the trees removed this spring. The goal is to collect $12,500 toward stump-grinding costs, which will cover 50 locations (at about $250 per stump). We are over halfway there already, but we need your support! To donate, please visit http://www.hamlinechurch.org/give/, click Give Now, then choose “Minnehaha Trees” as the fund. Or you can drop off donations in person at Ginkgo Coffee Shop. Contact hamlineearthkeepers@gmail.com with any questions.
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