All diseased trees marked with a Orange ‘X’ have been positively diagnosed and/or declared a public nuisance according to City Ordinance 6-2.  The diagnosed tree(s) must be removed within 20 days following November 1 of the current year. The property owner must manage the removal of all marked trees.  Tree removal must include the removal of bark from the stump but does not require removal of the stump.

If the property owner fails to remove a diagnosed tree within the specified time frame, the City will manage the removal.

The City will obtain unit1  bids from licensed and insured contractors for the removal of the infected trees. The cost for removal of the infected tree will not be known until the City requests quotations from contractors for the removal. The removal will include removal of bark from the stump but does not include removal of the stump. The property owner will be billed for the removal and disposal costs incurred by the City as well as an administrative fee of $37.50 for each property identified on this notice. Property owners who wish to obtain more specific information relative to the removal procedure, or if you no longer own the property, or this notice was sent to you in error, please contact the Forestry Division.

All infected wood is to be disposed of at a City approved wood waste facility. At no time is infected oak wood allowed to be stored in Rochester.

All commercial tree work contractors are required by ordinance to be licensed to work in Rochester.   A list of licensed and insured tree care companies is attached and is available online at www.rochestermn.gov.

Please assist in preventing the spread of Oak Wilt by only hiring companies that properly dispose of infected wood. To learn more about the spread of Oak Wilt, or how you might protect your healthy trees, visit the University of Minnesota Extension Service website (www.extension.umn.edu).

1Unit bids are defined as costs for removal of each infected tree.