Arborist Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, November 1, 2012

Members Present

Tim Basham, Mark Lamberton, Kathy Hopkins

Members Not Present

John Lamanna, Tom Hoerth, Chuck Cotton, Brian Dugas

Staff Present

Debbie Davis, Ann Gibbs

Ann welcomed and called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm

Update from Members

Mark Lamberton - Working to coordinate vegetation management with Maine Public Utility crew. Not much of an impact from hurricane Sandy in the Bangor Hydro service area.

Tim Basham - Tim asked that there be more information regarding interpreting shoreland zoning regulations. Many new arborists are afraid to work in shoreland zone, because they have a difficult time interpreting the rules. He suggested that it might be a good topic for a workshop or meeting. Tim also mentioned that he has been meeting with other arborists and MDOT to work out the awarding of contracts for incidental tree work.

Kathy Hopkins - Kathy just returned from the International Maple Syrup meeting in CT. Members of the maple industry are particularly concerned about the threat of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) and how climate change may affect where trees can be grown and produce sap in the future. To deal with the threat of ALB on producer was looking into trying to fine an insurance policy to insure his trees.

ACTION: Ann will pursue training for interpreting shoreland zoning with DEP and the Maine Arborist Association

Arborist Program Update

Debbie prepared a summary of activities and date related to licensing. There are currently 922 licensed arborists. The breakdown of categories includes: 279 landscape, 347 utility, 269 both landscape and utility, 18 apprentice and 9 master. This year we have offered 4 exams with 64 participants and a passing rate of 86%. One more exam is scheduled for December

Ann mentioned that the Dept. of Agriculture had merged with the Dept. of Conservation and is now called the Dept of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. There have been no major changes to programs the major change is the Dept. now has one commissioner, Walt Whitcomb.

Council Members

There are three council members whose terms expire in 2012. Two are eligible to serve a second term and they have agreed to continue. One has served two terms and cannot be reaapointed. This slot is for a licensed arborist and a replacement should be determined by the end of December.

ACTION: Ann requested that members supply her with names of licensed arborists who might be interested in filling this slot.

Multi Year Licensing

In answer to a question from the last meeting, the Dept. can issue licenses for either 1, 2, or 3 years. We issue multi-year licenses only on request, but don't advertise this option. It takes the same amount of time to process multi-year licenses as an annual license. If an arborist licenses for multiple years it limits our ability to verify they have insurance. Licenses are issued to the person. If a company pays the renewal fees for multi-years, and teh person leaves teh company they take teh license with them and the company loses an employee and has paid extra licensing fees.

Exams in the Future

The arborist exam has a written and an oral component. The oral portion is administered by a licensed arborist. Dave Newell has been in this role for many years, but there is some concern in the future whether we could find a licensed arborist to take this on. There is some interest in discussing whether the oral portion could be incorporated into the writted portion of the exam.

ACTION: The exam will be reviewed during a meeting in 2013 and Dave Newell will be invited.

Council Discussion of Issues

There was some discussion about changing the categories and just having one arborist licensing category. There were some topics that should be included in the study materials for the exam, such as information regarding shoreland zoning and invasive plants. Also, if arborists become familiar with these topics could it be acknowledged as part of the licensing requirements into the arborist exam.

ACTION: Ann will look for summary information on shoreland zoning and invasive plants to include in the study material. She will also talk to BPC staff about the inclusion of pesticide licensing requirements specifically related to cut stump treatments.

Next Meeting

No meeting date was set

Meeting adjourned at 2:45 pm

Respectfully submitted by,

Ann Gibbs

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