BISMARCK, N.D. – March will mark the beginning of a city wide search for the over wintering and breeding habitat of the Elm Bark Beetle. This effort is critical in the battle to save Bismarck’s elm trees from devastating losses to Dutch Elm Disease (DED).
Bismarck’s Dutch Elm Disease prevention program has been successful in large part due to the elimination of habitat that this disease vector uses to make it through our harsh winters. The insulating effect of a firewood pile allows many insects to survive in our frigid environment. Elm Bark Beetles use elm wood with tightly attached bark for protection from the extreme fluctuations of temperature that can kill many insects. By eliminating elm wood before spring, the over wintering beetles are destroyed before they can emerge in the steadily warming temperatures.
The Forestry Division attributes their success in fighting to save Bismarck’s elm trees to three main factors:
• Diligent inspections in the summer to identify diseased trees
• Quick removal of diseased trees from the urban forest once they are identified as a positive host for the fungus that causes Dutch Elm Disease
• Eliminating the over wintering and breeding habitat of Elm Bark Beetles by enforcing the required debarking or disposal of dead elm wood and stumps
Since Bismarck’s first positive identification of Dutch Elm Disease in 1977, there has been only one year in which Dutch elm disease losses have numbered more than one percent of the total elm population. We are committed to preserving our stately elms, and keeping the level of tree loss due to Dutch Elm Disease at less than one percent.
City arborists will begin combing the city in March, looking for firewood piles that might contain elm wood. If elm wood is found, it will be marked with orange paint to aid the homeowner in the identification process. Wood owners will be asked to debark, burn or dispose of the over wintering elm wood habitat within ten days of notification. A notice describing the elm bark beetle lifecycle and how they use elm wood as a breeding and over wintering habitat will be left at the property where the elm wood is found. The notice also describes how to identify elm wood from other common firewood types found in North Dakota.
According to the NDSU Extension Service publication Dutch Elm Disease, “A few elm logs secreted away by one homeowner who does not understand the importance of the problem can undo all attempts at thorough sanitation and watchful disease surveillance for an area of several city blocks.”
For more information visit www.bismarck.org/forestry.
BISMARCK, N.D. – March will mark the beginning of a city wide search for the over wintering and breeding habitat of the Elm Bark Beetle. This effort is critical in the battle to save Bismarck’s elm trees from devastating losses to Dutch Elm Disease (DED).
Bismarck’s Dutch Elm Disease prevention program has been successful in large part due to the elimination of habitat that this disease vector uses to make it through our harsh winters. The insulating effect of a firewood pile allows many insects to survive in our frigid environment. Elm Bark Beetles use elm wood with tightly attached bark for protection from the extreme fluctuations of temperature that can kill many insects. By eliminating elm wood before spring, the over wintering beetles are destroyed before they can emerge in the steadily warming temperatures.
The Forestry Division attributes their success in fighting to save Bismarck’s elm trees to three main factors:
• Diligent inspections in the summer to identify diseased trees
• Quick removal of diseased trees from the urban forest once they are identified as a positive host for the fungus that causes Dutch Elm Disease
• Eliminating the over wintering and breeding habitat of Elm Bark Beetles by enforcing the required debarking or disposal of dead elm wood and stumps
Since Bismarck’s first positive identification of Dutch Elm Disease in 1977, there has been only one year in which Dutch elm disease losses have numbered more than one percent of the total elm population. We are committed to preserving our stately elms, and keeping the level of tree loss due to Dutch Elm Disease at less than one percent.
City arborists will begin combing the city in March, looking for firewood piles that might contain elm wood. If elm wood is found, it will be marked with orange paint to aid the homeowner in the identification process. Wood owners will be asked to debark, burn or dispose of the over wintering elm wood habitat within ten days of notification. A notice describing the elm bark beetle lifecycle and how they use elm wood as a breeding and over wintering habitat will be left at the property where the elm wood is found. The notice also describes how to identify elm wood from other common firewood types found in North Dakota.
According to the NDSU Extension Service publication Dutch Elm Disease, “A few elm logs secreted away by one homeowner who does not understand the importance of the problem can undo all attempts at thorough sanitation and watchful disease surveillance for an area of several city blocks.”
For more information visit www.bismarck.org/forestry.
Humanities scholar and author, Clay S. Jenkinson and Bismarck State College President Larry C. Skogen discuss Thoreau and how we are often so busy in habits, that we fail to observe the world. One of Thoreau’s questions asks how much of our lives do we want to give towards things that are not really necessary?
To find out more, watch Conversations with Clay Jenkinson – Thoreau’s Walden: One Man’s Effort to “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” on Video On Demand. (To view this show online, you will need Windows Media Player.)
These are conversations they both believe North Dakotans need to have. Their goal is to help people of the state reconnect with key events in their history within a broader social context and to spotlight Bismarck State College as an important player in promoting humanities within the community. These programs were funded in part by the North Dakota Humanities Council.
You can find more information and schedules on our web site.
Visit “Conversations at Bismarck State College” at: www.bsctalk.com.
BISMARCK, N.D. – The Great American Spit-Out occurs in February of each year as a means to raise awareness of the dangers associated with smokeless tobacco. This year, the Great American Spit-Out will occur Feb. 23.
During the Great American Spit-Out, Bismarck Burleigh Public Health and Bismarck area school students encourage North Dakotans who use smokeless products to quit for at least one day.
To help spread the word on the harms of tobacco, Bismarck area students who attended the 6th Annual Bismarck Tobacco Prevention Youth Summit last fall, developed public service announcements (PSA’s). Bismarck High School produced “Because I” and Horizon Middle School developed “It stole my life.” Both PSAs are video productions and viewable at http://www.breathend.com/
Bismarck Burleigh Public Health Outreach Coordinator Susan Kahler said that the students are excited to share what they have learned about tobacco prevention and choosing healthier lifestyles by not using any kind of tobacco.
In North Dakota, smokeless tobacco – also known as spit tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, snus or dip – is used by 5 percent of adults and 13.6 percent of students in grades nine through 12. Many people have the misconception that smokeless tobacco is a safer alternative to smoking, but supporting evidence shows that it is just as deadly.
“Smokeless tobacco may not receive the same kind of attention that smoking cigarettes does, but that should not detract from the fact that it’s a harmful product that leads to nicotine addiction and causes cancer,” said Kahler.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one chew of smokeless tobacco delivers as much nicotine as two to three cigarettes, contains 28 cancer-causing agents, and is the sixth leading cancer in men.
To assist smokeless tobacco users in quitting, Bismarck Burleigh Public Health encourages users to call the North Dakota Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
The Department of Public Works office will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of Presidents’ Day and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
The city landfill will be opened Monday, Feb. 20 at 8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Public Works Department at 667-3240.
Thank you.
