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State forester seeks SIF funds for emerald ash borer mitigation and additional nursery capacity
Summary
North Dakota Forest Service State Forester Tom Plaes told the appropriations committee the agency needs resources for emerald ash borer mitigation, to sustain its Towner conservation tree nursery and to maintain wildland firefighting readiness.
Tom Plaes, state forester for the North Dakota Forest Service, told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division the agency is seeking targeted funding to help communities prepare for emerald ash borer and to strengthen the state nursery’s capacity.
Plaes said the Towner State Nursery produces conservation seedlings for windbreak and restoration projects and is “a high-volume, low-profit operation.” He told the committee the nursery can produce up to a million conservation tree seedlings annually but is constrained by seasonal labor and by the nursery’s current special-fund authority.
“Emerald ash borer was found in North Dakota in 2024,” Plaes said, noting the discovery south of Jamestown at a rest area and the immediate delimiting work that followed. He asked the committee to consider a pass-through allocation to help communities create mitigation plans, diversify boulevard tree stocks and cover removal or treatment costs where infestations occur.
Why it matters: emerald ash borer kills green ash and other ash species; communities with large ash inventories can face heavy removal and replacement costs. Plaes said proactively supporting mitigation through grants would reduce long-term municipal liability and protect urban canopy values.
Plaes proposed two related items: an SIF (Strategic Investment Fund) allocation to support community mitigation grants and an increase in the Towner State Nursery’s special-fund authority to allow the nursery to hire two additional full-time staff paid from its tree-sales revenue. The nursery currently carries a reserve account capped at $1.5 million for catastrophic losses and returns sales revenue to the nursery’s operating fund.
On wildland fire, Plaes told lawmakers the agency leverages state funds to attract federal and special-fund resources for engines, crew carriers and training. He described the interstate Wildland Fire Compact and said North Dakota both receives and provides mutual aid depending on the season. Plaes cautioned that recent patterns show longer fire seasons and added pressure on rural volunteer departments.
The committee also reviewed fee schedules for state forest campgrounds and grazing leases; Plaes said fees have not changed since 2017 and proposed considering modest increases in future budgets.
Ending: Plaes thanked the committee for previous support and urged timely consideration of nursery authority and community mitigation funds so local governments can plan and respond if emerald ash borer spreads.
