Conditions of grant set up clash over trees

Three beloved trees at Mineral Springs Nature Preserve are targeted for removal, and residents are not happy about it.

“Those are three perfectly healthy trees,” Scott Bostwick, who lives across the street from the park on Oakland Avenue, told members of the county Natural Resources Committee last week. “They’re 32 years old and were donated to the city.”

The trees in question, however, are Norway maples. The Norway maple is native to Europe and western Asia and is considered an invasive species in North America. 

That’s important because work done at the park in recent years to restore the stream bed of Mineral Springs Creek was financed through a $400,000 grant that requires the removal of invasive plant species, including Norway maples.

“It’s one of the metrics for the grant. The money has already been spent,” county Planning and Parks Director Andrew Struck told the committee last week.

Mineral Springs Nature Preserve is a 1.85-acre park, formerly the city’s Oakland Green Park, east of Ravine Street. It has a 910-foot frontage along the banks of the creek. 

The creek was washed out in August 2018 by an intense rainstorm, exposing an 18-inch sanitary sewer line.

The county secured $730,000 in grants to restore fish passage and habitat in the creek and the city contributed $65,000 toward the work.

The creek, which originates in Ulao Swamp, runs through the Port Washington industrial park northeast until it joins Sauk Creek at Coal Dock Park. 

It is considered one of the most important streams in Ozaukee County for spawning fish, including salmon, white suckers and forage fish, partly because the creek is largely fed by ground water, making the water colder than other streams.

Work on the stream by the county was recognized by two awards from environmental groups.

The city turned over ownership of the park to the county in March 2025.

The park land was originally owned by We Energies and was donated to the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust for conservation purposes. OWLT subsequently donated the parcel to the city, requiring the property be maintained for open space uses.

Last week Struck said Norway maples are common in Port Washington and other cities.

“They were used as street trees because they are very hardy and tolerant,” he said.

Bostwick, who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, said there are Norway maples in Lower Lake Park.

“Are they going to cut those down?” he said. 

Struck said the Norway maples in Mineral Springs park could be replaced by native trees such as sugar or red maples, but  which trees to plant would be chosen by the city, even though the park is owned by the county.

Port Washington Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Jon Crain said Tuesday he was not familiar enough with the situation to comment on what trees might be planted there, and he would need to consult with Struck.

Bostwick said the process lacked transparency and that neighbors didn’t realize the trees would be removed, although Struck said Bostwick had attended meetings where it was discussed.

“There’s a lot of frustration,” Bostwick said.