BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — North Dakotans are just starting to see the leaves change, but one department in the capital city is almost finished with their most hectic time of year. The Bismarck forestry crew is less than a dozen strong, but they and contractors have already removed nearly 200 ash and elm trees along the boulevards this summer. "There really is no downtime," says Mike Miller with the Forestry Department. "Most of the time, someone calls and complains, and we inspect the tree as soon as the call comes in. They work great together." Workers tell us Bismarck has around 22,000 trees along city streets, and the department is responsible for checking around 350 miles to ensure they are in good health. KX Gives Back: Dakota Home Care "As far as that goes," Mike continues, "fewer wind events would help us get caught up and get into our prune rotation we do in the fall." This maintenance duty is an easy task, however — and this is mostly due to invasive problems like Dutch Elm Disease, the Emerald Ash Borer, and more recently, European Elm Scale. "They had tested 137 elm trees," Mike recalls, "and 136 of them were positive. That's residential and on-street trees." While Bismarck is still looking for a city forester, Mike Miller's team includes nine full-time workers, along with two part-timers. Their goal is for each worker to personally prune a thousand trees every year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW