NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa's City Forester, Adam Mancini, created a master plan to remove cedar borer-infested trees and diversify Kohlerlawn's canopy.
- The arborvitaes lining the driveways of the cemetery have stood tall for upwards of 80 years.
- Within the last decade, they've become infested with cedar borers.
- Inflation Reduction Act grant money will be used to replace the trees and no taxpayer money will be used.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
A fresh new look is coming to the Kohlerlawn Cemetery. The arborvitaes lining the driveways of the cemetery have stood tall for upwards of 80 years. However, within the last decade, they've become infested with Cedar Borers.
"We've attempted to control them over the last seven to eight years with an insecticide systemic and been unsuccessful. We even attempted to prune the dead out of the trees. Very time consuming and utilizes a lot of labor and staff resources to do it. And then the following year, there's the same, if not more dead within the trees," explained Nampa City Forester Adam Mancini.
"What do you think that initial design phase looked like when Kohlerlawn was being built and these trees were being planted?" I ask.
"Well, so back 75, 80 years ago, when these trees were conceptualized and planted at the cemetery, there was the thought to have a nice green arborvita row along the roadways and lining the roadways. Now that intent was great to beautify the cemetery, but as you can tell, much larger now, they're also creating other problems."
The city has secured a grant of $500,000 funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. City Forester Adam Mancini created a master tree planting plan to earn the grant. This fall, crews will cut down the arborvitaes trees, heat treat, and recycle the wood. A process that could possibly see the wood come full circle and be used as mulch within the City of Nampa's Parks Department.
In the spring, new trees will be planted with diverse species to create a better canopy and help reduce the heat island and to avoid another infestation problem all together.
"What we've realized and what agricultural practices has realized is monocultures are not ideal," Mancini explains, "and what this is, is this exact example of a monoculture. And monocultures in arboriculture is one species of tree in a mass planting. And you want to avoid that for this very reason."
The money from the Inflation Reduction Act is match waivered meaning the city does not have to match a certain portion. No taxpayer money will be used for the project.
