After years of both preparatory and preventative measures, the City of Northfield announced yesterday that a tree 
infested with the Emerald Ash Borer has been discovered within the city limits.
A local tree care business reported an ash tree in an area north of Oddfellows Park with bark cracks and woodpecker damage in the tree canopy, all signs of infection. On March 6th, the city was notified by the Department of Agriculture to confirm the infestation.
The emerald ash borer kills ash trees within two to four years after it lays its eggs. The larvae tunnel under the bark and feed on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk.
Shelley Evanson, the Northfield City Horticulturist, said Northfielders should be looking for signs of an infestation. Should the larvae be detected early enough, it is possible that a tree can be saved. However, trees in poor condition should be taken down before they die. Evanson said dead ash trees are very hazardous and more difficult to remove.
When checking for the emerald ash borer, there are several signs that could reveal the presence of the insect. Always confirm that the tree you are examining is indeed an Ash tree, which is important because the insect only feeds on ash trees.
The most obvious sign would be woodpecker damage, because woodpeckers like the Emerald Ash Borer larvae. After a person notices woodpecker holes, they should check for bark cracks. The larvae tunneling under the bark can cause it to split open, revealing the S-shaped tunnels underneath.
Evanson said there are prevention treatments and ways to slow the spread. The biggest risk of spreading emerald ash borer comes from people unknowingly moving firewood or other ash products harboring larvae. She Suggested that firewood be purchased locally from approved vendors and burning the firewood only in the area where it was purchased. She said Rice and Dakota counties are in a quarantine restricted area, so the movement of ash trees, wood chips, or firewood into or out of the area is not advised.
Northfield is doing its part to slow the spread. The city was awarded a grant by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources last year to replace 100 ash trees in 2022 and 25 this year. There are approximately 1,600 ash trees on public land and in the right-of-way. And while the city does not keep count of trees on private property, it estimates about 15% of the private tree inventory is made up of ash trees.
Minnesota is highly susceptible to the destruction caused by this invasive insect. The state has approximately one billion ash trees, the most in the nation.
Those who suspect they have an infested tree should contact a tree care professional to treat or remove it. Any infestation should be reported to Evanson at 507-645-3037 or Shelley.Evanson@ci.northfield.mn.us and to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 888-545-6684 or reportapest@state.mn.us.
District considers alternative budget reductions
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the Northfield School Board considered some alternative 
adjustments to the 2023-24 school year budget that were slightly different than what had been previously proposed.
Hillmann said the district has received a largely concerned response to the idea of eliminating most Middle School activities. An alternative to eliminating activities, he said, would be to make substantial increases to the activity fees each student would have to pay in order to participate. Over the years, as high school activity fees have increased, Hillmann said, Middle School fees have not. In fact, he said, the district would look at increases in the high school fees as well, although not as much as the middle school fees.
Another option is to increase the admission for ticketed school events by $2.00. Half of that increase, he said, would be to help fund the after-school activities bus.
The district will also be looking at the transportation budget and will consider a fee for students who use bus transportation within two miles of the destination school.
The reasons, he said, for the reductions to the budget are well documented. According to Dr. Hillmann the amount of funding every school district in Minnesota receives from the state has dwindled and lost buying power over the course of thirty years. Moreover, the Northfield School District has seen declining enrollment over the last few years and will continue to do so for several more. Hillman said it is important to make these reductions sooner in the enrollment decline, rather than later, so the effects of a smaller budget are felt for a shorter amount of time.
“Our goal is to put together a package that helps us stabilize our budget to get to the reality that we have fewer students. That’s the short term. And by addressing these items in the short term, as our enrollment does stabilize, we should be able to even out and have a new normal, and [decide] on the kinds of things that we’re able to fund at the level of student enrollment.”
Another common question that is being asked, Hillmann said, is about a funding increase from the state. Governor Tm Walz has made substantially increasing education funding a top priority for this session, and with his party in the majority in both the House and the Senate, those increases are likely. However, Dr. Hillmann said any increase in funding would not be felt for at least a year, if not 18 months, and he was candid when he said that the increases, while appreciated, would not be enough.
“When you’ve been shorting us for 30 years, this is back pay. We can’t in good faith recommend any restorations of potentially reduced programs for the 2023-24 school year because we need to stabilize the budget this year and then our goal is to be able to limit any of those additional reductions as we move forward.”
The district will host two open house meetings to engage directly with the public to discuss the budget cuts. Each meeting will begin with a presentation, which will be followed by small group discussions, and then a larger discussion. The first of those meetings will be tomorrow night at 6:30 at the Northfield Middle School. The second will be Thursday the 23rd, back at the Middles school, also at 6:30.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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