THINKING SPRING

HOPE IT'S A NICE DAY

'FORT MCNAIR' HYBRID BUCKEYES ALONG 6TH ST. ...

... WELCOME SPRING TO THE CITY

Tuesday, 8:00 AM.  26 degrees F at the ferry dock, 22 on the back porch.  Wind SW, gusty.  It has been snowing and blowing but it has stopped and the overcast is beginning to clear.  The humidity is 84% and the barometer has started to climb, currently at 29.58". Hope it is a nice day before it becomes figid again.
   Yesterday's Bayfield Tree Board meeting at the Big Water Cafe was very successful, especially considering the frigid temperatures that one would have expected to keep more members absent, but despite some  having fled to warmer climes we did have a quorum.
   Even while being in the depths of winter we had important business to conduct, including making plans to order trees for spring planting.  The program of notifying homeowners of the opportunity to have a City tree planted within the city right-of-way on their property, and to select the general type, will be continued.  And the planting of Fort McNair hybrid buckeyes on 6th St at the city's south entrance will be continued, to replace losses due to snow plow damage.
   The Tree Board also authorized me, as a member of the Governor's Urban Forestry Council, to comment on proposed drastic reductions in the 20015-17 State Budget that would negatively impact  the Bayfield urban forestry program, to the effect that any changes should not be draconian and should be gradual so that we could adapt.
   The special meeting of the Urban Forestry Council will also address perceived redundancies between DNR forestry research staff and University of Wisconsin research staff. It will also address proposed reduction of other DNR staff.  More information on these and other proposed changes in Wisconsin DNR forestry programs is necessary before comments can be made.
   But we are thinking spring!