Revised May 30, 2024
Freeman Park Woods & Trails
What’s the Plan?
By Barry Brown – Freeman Park Advocate
On June 11th your voice counts! People often ask: What are the plans for Freeman Park wooded areas and trails now that most of the buckthorn has been cleared from 20 acres of woodland? To be blunt, the City of Shorewood had no plan when they cleared the buckthorn except to utilize a $50,000 grant from the DNR that was about to expire, and still, has no workable plan today.
Additionally the Shorewood Park & Rec Director resigned in January after only one year on the job and put any hopes of a comprehensive plan further behind. Public Works Director Matt Morriem and his staff have been working sporadically to clear the debris and plant new trees and native grasses in an attempt to satisfy requests from residents.
In summary, here is what has been accomplished so far:
- Prairie Restorations (contractor) removed major portions of the buckthorn.
- 50+ volunteers picked up tree logs and branch debris left behind by Prairie Restorations and moved it to the side of the walking trails for Public Works.
- Public Works has been chipping the debris into the woods as weather and ground conditions permit. It will likely take several months to complete this job since there are many other city priorities.
- Public Works has begun spreading a mix of grass seeds in the woods where debris has been cleared. This will provide a dense understory and prevent future buckthorn seeds from sprouting.
- Volunteers and public works employees have planted a variety of approx. 160 bare root trees in the wooded area.
After conducting much research, I successfully worked with city officials to follow the research by the University of Minnesota, Friends of Mississippi River, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, City of Minneapolis and other conservation organizations to ensure we can eliminate buckthorn regrowth without using dangerous chemicals. The process used by these groups is to “CUT and EXHAUST” meaning repeatedly cutting the buckthorn (3-4 times per year) at proper times of the year to exhaust the buckthorn plant so it dies off: it’s a multi-year effort. The U of M is also setting up a research plot inside Freeman woods to record the effectiveness of this process. Native bushes and plants are already flourishing in the woods and will block out light from the smaller buckthorn plants. For a look at what some residents’ vision of Freeman woods could look like click the link below:
What’s next? Shorewood must now commit to acquiring the necessary equipment to begin the “CUT and EXHAUST” method of eradicating the buckthorn. If this is not done SOON the buckthorn will grow back and in a few years we will be right back where we started – dense buckthorn throughout the woods. And if the city does not acquire the necessary equipment they will be breaking their promise to use alternate methods to dangerous chemical applications. You can contact Council Members to share your thoughts.
To contact Council Members:
Scott Zerby (952) 905-4444
Guy Sanschagrin (952) 217-1289
Dustin Maddy (612) 293-6727
Jennifer Labadie (952) 836-8719
Paula Callies (763) 546-8020
The priority is to STOP using dangerous chemicals in parks and public spaces where children play and people walk their pets. Many cities in Minnesota have adopted policies eliminating the use of dangerous chemicals including the City of Minneapolis. Unfortunately, just this year Shorewood city officials approved the use of Garlon 4 with the main ingredient Tryloper that is scientifically proven to cause cancer, kill pollinators, kill aquatic creatures and kill many other species of trees besides buckthorn in the park. City officials also discussed using Glyphosates (commonly found in Roundup) scientifically proven to cause cancer. Residents stopped them. . . . for now!
YOU are encouraged to provide suggestions to Park Commissioners on June 11th at 6:00pm at Freeman Park while commissioners tour the grounds. Park Commissioners seek suggestions from residents at least once per year to develop a comprehensive plan for the remainder of 2024 and budget for 2025. Together WE can help shape the vision for Freeman Park woods.
