June 25, 2012

Dear CSA Members and Friends,

The CSA Building and Grounds Committee and Ecology Committee would like to update you on the emerald ash borer disease and ask your help.  This deadly beetle was first identified in SE Michigan in 2002 and, as predicted, has spread to our region.  It is expected to wipe out 99% of the region’s ash trees.  Approximately 14% of the CSA trees are ash, so this is not a small problem. It is a major safety issue and financial drain for our community and our two committees are working together to provide information and resources to you.

If you have ash trees on your property, there are several options available:

1.  Remove dead or dying trees to prevent damage to power lines, roadways, buildings and people.  Of course, removing a large tree, especially after it is infected and weakened, is costly.  Below is a partial list of tree removal services.

2.  If the trees are away from developed areas, they may be allowed to die and fall.

3.   If you have a special ash tree you would like to save, you may want to hire a tree service for treatment. (See list below).  The injection treatment is most effective for trees more than ten inches in diameter and costs approximately $12 per inch of diameter.  TRE-AGE injection is reported to be 90% effective and will protect for approximately two years.

If you have any questions or need help in identifying ash trees, please ask the office (352-4751) to place a note in the ecology committee box and someone will contact you.

This is a significant problem that will not disappear.  Please consider your options for being a responsible community member, for the safety of our neighbors and the health of our forest.

Beech Bark Disease is another infestation which has recently come to our area.  Its impact is not yet as immediate or severe, but it will be another major concern for the CSA forest and property owners.  Look for more information about BBD posted at the CSA, in your mailboxes, and at websites such as   www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/beechbark/fidl-beech.htm

Please pass this information along to all members of your family.

Sincerely,   CSA Ecology Committee and CSA Building & Grounds Committee

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TREE TREATMENT SPECIALISTS:    Deering Tree Service, Tom Deering, 231-228-6492

L & S Tree Care Service, Steve Fouch, 231-392-6006

Kuhlman Tree Service, Gary Kuhlman, 231-947-8921

TREE REMOVAL SERVICES:     Canfield Tree Removal, Isaac Canfield, 231-269-4287

Deering Tree Service, Tom Deering, 231-228-6492

Rob Mummy, Advanced Tree Removal, 231-590-8689

Smitty’s Tree Service,  231-882-4570

Prepared for the 13 November 2010 Board of Trustees meeting

Committee Report

The Buildings and Grounds Committee has held an active and productive summer session at the CSA.  This past year tapped much of our physical energy and our meetings during the 2010 Season saw our members in planning and research mode.

Looking forward the Buildings and Grounds Committee is working with the Budget Committee toward putting the final data together for our long range capital planning.  To this end:

1. Remaining is the gathering of CSA road footage, condition and then prioritization of repair.
2. Much work has been done to catalog CSA physical assets regarding buildings and their contents both for condition and for insurance purposes.
3. Compiling this data and working with management to establish reasonable guidelines and maintenance schedules then forwarded to the Budget Committee will mark an end to “phase 1” of this project.

The Committee is also currently working on renewal and maintenance of the following assets:

• Review and planning for maintaining the rough footpath that extends from Lake Michigan to the Meeting House.  As we strive to encourage non-automotive traffic through the grounds, this is an example of reasonable progress.
• Renewal of the beautiful Crystal Knoll that currently stands in a neglected state.  This action is being conducted in cooperation with the Frost family who funded the dedication of the site to Sue Frost Parsons in 1967.
• Re-establishment of management responsibility for CSA common property.  A notice to this effect for prospective publication in the Mid-winter Assembly News will be sent to the President prior to the News copy deadline for Board approval prior to any posting in the periodical.
• Working as needed with Waterfront to find a reasonable solution to the crowding of the beached sailboat, kayak, etc. area.  It is apparent that many boats are registered for less than “Season” yet they remain on the beach in active slips for the season.
• Reconstruction of the South exterior of the Woods Courts.  Erosion and time have taken a toll on the drainage and barriers that support a healthy maintenance of the Woods 1 &2.  With monies being spent to rejuvenate the courts next year we suggest that now is a good time to take care of these minor surrounding issues.
• Several compromised trees on the common property are currently being marked by volunteers and will be evaluated and prioritized by the Committee for removal or remediation based on their threat to assets and safety.

No current action items at this time.  Funding requests appear in the Budget Committee Report for Crystal Knoll renewal and repair of Woods Courts drainage.

Respectfully Submitted

Buildings and Grounds Committee