News

Borer Preparations Continue Through Winter

Emerald ash borer larvae, soon to wake up and emerge from their ash tree galleries, will find that local, state and national officials have not been dormant during the winter months. Together, they have taken a number of important steps to control the spread of this latest invasive species, which thus far throughout the United States and Canada has killed more than 20 million ash trees in urban and natural areas like (see our feature story in the Winter ’07 issue).

With a total of $17.6 million in federal funding secured by Senator Richard J. Durbin, survey crews have determined that the borer has spread beyond the initial quarantine area established by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) in the fall of 2006. Accordingly, in January 2007, the IDA extended its quarantine area to include all of Kane County and northern Cook County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture placed all of Illinois, along with Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, under federal quarantine. People convicted of moving ash products outside the quarantine areas are subject to a $500 fine.

Although federal officials acknowledge that it will likely be impossible to eliminate the borer, the only proven method of controlling its spread remains to cut down all ash trees within half a mile of a known infestation. However, so serious is the threat that the village of Wilmette, where the borer was found in late 2006, has begun a five-year effort to remove all 2,855 ash trees from its parks and public rights-of-way. The village also has waived permit fees for any homeowner who wishes to remove ash trees.

Two other northern Cook County communities where the emerald ash borer has been identified find themselves with similarly tough decisions to make. Because dead and dying trees could pose significant public safety issues, neighboring Winnetka is considering a course of tree removal similar to Wilmette. Evan--ston officials thus far are reluctant to remove healthy ash trees partly due to the cost. Wilmette officials estimate that their tree removal effort will cost at least $2.5 million.

To encourage municipalities to pursue what Warren Goetsch, the IDA’s chief of the bureau of environmental programs, says is perhaps the most “responsible” course of action, the state is considering establishing a revolving loan fund to help meet the unanticipated costs of large-scale tree removal in communities.

To fill the void left by removed ash trees, the U.S. Forest Service has developed a list of recommended replacement trees for northern Illinois. The list includes more than 100 species and serves as a good reminder that biodiversity is important not only in our natural areas, but also in our urban areas. In those communities where ash trees comprise up to 30 percent of the total number of trees, a pest such as the emerald ash borer can have a particularly devastating effect.

—Arthur Melville Pearson