Eagles, ash borer put focus on trees

DES MOINES - Iowa lawmakers and forestry advocates used the world's fascination with three bald eagles hatching in an aerie outside Decorah in northeast Iowa to draw attention to billion-dollar threats to the state's woodlands.

“I'm from northeast Iowa, the part of Iowa that has many beautiful trees,” Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm, D-Cresco, said at a Trees Forever news conference on the Capitol steps last week to announce the results of a survey of Iowans' concerns with forests and woodlands.

“One of our trees is famous right now - the tree that is housing the newest family in Decorah, the eagles,” she said, referring to a nest 80 feet up in a cottonwood tree near the Decorah Fish Hatchery where three bald eagles have hatched.

A live webcam feed of the eagles - www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles - had attracted more than 11 million online views by last week, according to the project's website.

The health of all Iowa trees is a major concern for Trees Forever. It found that the emerald ash borer is the top concern of Iowans involved in community forestry projects.

The Emerald ash borer presents a $1 million-a-year potential threat to Iowa forestry industry and landowners and $2.5 billion in community removal and replacement costs and value of urban trees, according to the Coalition for Iowa's Woodlands & trees. The potential loss over the next 20 years will be nearly $10.5 billion to communities and $300 million to the wood products industry, the coalition said.

Iowa's wood products industries generate more than $3.9 billion annually, employ almost 18,000 people and have an annual payroll of nearly $1 million, said Rep. Bob Hager, R-Dorchester. As a campground owner, he added, the trees make northeast Iowa attractive to hunters, angler, hikers and tourists “and I want to keep them coming.”

Trees Forever board members and Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson noted that in Cedar Rapids, the energy savings benefit of trees is $1.5 billion a year.

To address the threat, the Senate Ag and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee has added a $100,000 line item for forestry health and management.

“It's modest,” Wilhelm said, “but we are in a budget time when every line item is being scrutinized. So we'd like to start with something and, hopefully, open discussions to further fund this well-needed and well-deserved situation.”

For more information, visit www.treesforever.org.

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