2009 "Plan of Action" Report

    The St. John Tree Board's    
Plan of Action Report!

As required by our local city tree ordinance, we, the St. John Tree Board submit our "Plan of Action" report detailing the various on-going and up-coming tree board projects for the next twelve months.

As of now, here is a list of our projects in the works now:

1.) Will help our city crews install three new tree identification markers in Brown Park. (This is part of our long range project, making Brown Park into an arboretum.)

2.) Sponsor a National Arbor Day Foundation Poster Contest for the St. John-Hudson fifth graders. Along with sending our winning entry on to the state level, we will give our poster winner a wooden bird house. If any other entries warrant it, we will award additional prizes.

3.) Having our city participate in a National Arbor Day Recognition Day ceremony (In all probability, this will be the National Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner Award's Ceremony to be held at St. John Grade School.).

4.) Requesting that our mayor have published in our St. John News a National Arbor Day proclamation. It should be published before National Arbor Day in April.

5.) If we are selected for being a Tree City USA last year, the city forester will travel to Manhattan, Kansas this spring and pick up our awards. This will be the thirteenth year in a row that St. John has received the Tree City USA Award.

6.) Barry Ragan, our St. John volunteer city forester will continue watering trees not covered by our new sprinkling system. He will also water the sixteen Lindsborg "Share the Shade" trees and two amur maples located in the far eastern part of Brown Park, the eight trees next to our school's tennis courts, the two Lindsborg trees east of the Odd Fellows Lodge, the seven Lindsborg trees just across the street west of the swimming pool, the eight Lindsborg trees just north of Seibert's Body Shop, the seven Lindsborg trees along the south side of east First Street, the four trees on the south side of St. John Lumber, the red oak next to the post office, the two trees north of the white house that's located northwest of to the Square, the shrubs next to our "Welcome to St. John" entrance signs, and the younger trees that have been planted in our square. He will continue watering the two redbuds south of Gambinos.

7.)The city forester will continue helping any St. John citizen with their tree questions.

8.) The city forester will help our city's workers with pruning the trees in Brown Park, our downtown square and in Cornwell Park. If asked, the city forester will advise our city tree trimming crews should any additional problems arise.

9.) Help with the watering of the trees, shrubs, and flowers that have been planted in our new Brown Park tree, shrub and flower display(In case they need additional watering.). He will also weed, thin, and transplant plants in the display on a regular basis.

10.)Plant several burning bushes, purple leaf plums, and cannas in the large Brown Park flower and shrub bed.

11.) The city forester will be responsible for taking care of the ground area surrounding the trees in our three parks, which includes spraying for weeds, making sure that everything has been watered properly, fertilizing trees, and assessing any tree problems that arise and correct them though selective pruning and a scheduled insecticide program.

12.) It will be the city forester's job to make sure the trees located in the swimming pool area are watered during periods of drought.

13.) The city forester along with the Jolly Workers 4-H Club will plant flowers around the square's fountain this spring and also in the four flower beds outside of the square. He will be responsible for the plants' care and watering needs.

15.) Later in early June, the city will check and if need be, spray for bag worms infesting the two Concolor Firs located in our square.

16.) The city will transplant a red bud tree and Chinapin oak from our city tree nursery to Brown Park.

17.) The city forester will attend a Kansas Forest Service tree care workshop in Hays on February 18th.

18.) The city forester will continue pruning the lower branches of trees in our three parks when they create a hazard for our city's mowing crew. However, on some trees, only a certain amount of limbs can be removed each year without causing problems to the tree, so it might take a few years before the minimum lower branch height can be achieved.

19.) The city forester will replace any dead shrubs in our flower and shrub beds.

If we take on any more projects this year, we'll inform Mel Chesbro our city superintendent.

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