Decorah has a new City Forester

Last summer Robin Sailor and her family moved from Montana back to Decorah, the city she grew up in. For the past 20 years, Robin's career was in landscape design. Decorah Park and Rec hired her this past summer to maintain the parks and trails of Decorah.

Robin says, "I enjoy working in the parks.  When the city began discussing the city forester position last fall, it was a natural fit to my current Park and Rec staff job." Sailor is a three quarters employee with 80 percent of her job responsibilities as Park and Rec staff and 20 percent as City Forester.

Emerald Ash Borer has been a problem in Winneshiek County for a few years now.  A quarantine was placed in 2014, stating that no firewood should leave the county in order to keep the Emerald Ash Borer from spreading.  EAB affects the ash species, mostly green ash trees. Robin advises homeowners to look up into trees in February. Dead limbs and peeling bark could be a sign of EAB. The larvae tunnel under the bark; if a beetle is seen, the damage is already done.

A boulevard tree inventory survey has been completed for Decorah and Robin will be working with that information.

"We are concerned residents will take boulevard trees down and not replant," says Robin. There is a $35 reimbursement per tree being offered for trees planted in the boulevard, with a maximum reimbursement of $70.  Homeowners must apply for a free permit to plant a new boulevard tree.  Informational brochures are available at city hall or you can contact Robin Sailor at 563-277-5153 or cityforester@decorahia.org.