Plymouth’s city manager Dave Callister (left) and parks and recreation director Jennifer Tomlinson (right) holding the City of Excellence Award awarded by the League of Minnesota Cities for its Urban Wood Utilization Program. Photo: City of Plymouth
The initiative helps reduce waste, save money and provide materials for community projects.
The City of Plymouth has received a City of Excellence Award from the League of Minnesota Cities for its Urban Wood Utilization Program. The award was given under the Creative Use of Limited Resources category as the program repurposes ash into lumber for city and school projects.
The lumber is made from dead and declining trees that have predominantly been removed due to the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that targets ash trees. Using a shared saw owned by a neighboring city and a wood-drying kiln that was purchased with assistance from a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grant, this program puts the wood to local use rather than simply disposing of it. Finished lumber is used to build furniture for city facilities and improve public amenities including boardwalks in city parks. This program saves $15,000 annually, according to the city.
“Emerald ash borer has, unfortunately, destroyed thousands of trees throughout Plymouth,” city manager Dave Callister says. “In the past, the dead wood from these trees was chipped or disposed of. However, city staff saw an opportunity in the face of a problem. Now, we are able to divert what was once considered waste into a valuable resource.”
The city shares excess wood with nearby school districts for use in woodworking classes. During the past school year, Plymouth distributed 6,840 board feet of lumber to support student projects.
City of Plymouth
Instagram: @plymouthmn_gov
