The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is extending a financial olive branch to homeowners hit by the Emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. A new 'Retroactive Relief Program' has been announced to reimburse some of the costs shouldered by property owners for the removal of infested trees. Eligible recipients are those within specified disadvantaged census tracts and who had removal costs levied against their property from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. As reported on the board's website, notifications and application instructions have been dispatched to 247 potential beneficiaries.
The application period, which began on October 21, 2024, is due to close swiftly on November 15, 2024. Applicants, responding to the loss of thousands of ash trees to the invasive EAB, can submit their forms via snail mail or take the modern route with an online application. Coordination between numerous stakeholders, including homeowners, advocacy groups, the MPRB Board of Commissioners, and sundry charitable foundations, has culminated in the creation of this relief fund.
Wielding the financial wand here are the generous contributions from the Margaret A. Cargill Fund of the Saint Paul Minnesota Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation fundholders, and the Mortenson Family Foundation. As per the MPRB's announcement, these donations will finance the reimbursements, though they continue to seek additional funds to hopefully increase the relief offered.
Once they verify and give the green light to applications, prorated reimbursements will land in the hands of homeowners, calculated based on the total cost previously levied for tree removal. The MPRB will focus its first flutter of payments to settle outstanding balances with Hennepin County. Left on their doorsteps, homeowners should find a partial rebate by December 31, 2024, as the original notification informed property owners that they will receive the partial rebate by December 31, 2024.
If you're sitting there, fretting because no notification landed in your mailbox, but believe your property fits the bill for a bit of retroactive financial relief, the MPRB advises making direct contact. Any questions regarding eligibility or the process can be resolved, just by reaching out to the MPRB Finance Department at [email protected] or by calling 612-230-6400.
