ELY – The City Council unanimously agreed to direct the Clerk-Treasurer and City Attorney to draft an ordinance effectively terminating tree tapping for maple sap on city-owned maple trees.

Council member Albert Forsman made the motion Tuesday night that was supported by council member Paul Kess.

The action is the result of a public hearing last month where the council heard only a few people speak on the matter. The loudest voice at the hearing was the Ely Tree Board recommending to put a stop to the spring-time tradition of collecting maple sap from the city’s numerous, yet aging, silver maple trees.

“With an ordinance, it will give us the definition that these are our trees to (determine) what can or cannot be done with them,” Forsman said. “This is an important part of our tree ordinance.”

Kess said he wasn’t sure an ordinance was needed, but he would support such a law. “We don’t have ordinances to protect other city property. It may be too much. I’ll support an ordinance, but if there is an easier, faster way, I’ll support that, too,” he said. “I appreciate the efforts of the Tree Board in helping with this issue.”

The Tree Board presented recommendations to the council at the April 24 hearing. “The Tree Board does not believe the tappers are doing so with malicious intent,” said Tree Board member Dixon Shelstad. “Most tappers are apparently doing this as a hobby. This tradition has taken place for many years on city streets and in our parks. We recognize and respect the history of tree tapping, but recommend that the practice should be significantly reduced and eventually eliminated.”

The health of all city-owned trees is at the top of the list for the Ely Tree Board. “Our hope is to educate the public about this issue,” said Tree Board member Mary Groeninger. “This is not a reaction to the early-tapping activity observed this year.”

The Tree Board recommended the following ordinance for the City Council to consider: “No person without written permission of the city administrator shall plant, remove, break, bore into or take any action that will injure or destroy any tree or shrub, the base of which is located in the street right-of-way or on other city land.”

Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski recommended that the City Council be the ultimate authority on what happens to city-owned trees. “We would bring recommendations to the Tree Board and they would then make recommendations to the council,” he said. “Remember, we created the Tree Board by ordinance.”

Many of Ely’s older silver maple trees are showing evidence of dieback, according to the Tree Board. The likely cause is numerous street tree stresses that may include tapping. “Ely trees are not declining from tree tapping alone,” Shelstad stressed at the public hearing. “There are many contributing factors. Tapping is only one factor, but it is one that can be more easily controlled or eliminated.”

He went on to say that tapping sugar maple trees in a sugar bush is an acceptable practice, while tapping urban trees is not recommended. “This practice is prohibited in all cities with a forestry department that we contacted. The goal for urban trees is to increase the value they provide by bringing them to maturity, then extending life past maturity. This requires managing in ways that maximize stored energy, regardless of their poor growing environment.”

Council members will review and discuss the proposed tree–tapping ordinance at their next meeting.

Other business

In other business, the council took the following action:

Allowed the Farmers Market to establish a dog-holding area in Whiteside Park for the Tuesday night event;

Renewed the contract with Heavy Metal Sports to a two-year rental agreement at Semer’s Park;

Ok’d the City Cleanup Days at Whiteside Park on May 18-19 for city residents only;

Authorized the installation of more security cameras at the recycling center to allow for more rigorous enforcement of the center’s rules;

Tabled the awarding of the bid for a new pavilion at Semer’s Park because of the unexpectedly high cost of $167,000;

Authorized the design work proposal for the Hidden Valley mountain bike trail system at a cost of $13,200, with almost $8,000 in donations already received;

Approved the purchase of eight plant containers to use along Sheridan Street at a cost of $4,000;

Recommended to the Ely Economic Development Authority to establish a Broadband Enterprise Fund.