City officials responded to growing concerns of an invasive species outbreak by presenting several possible response plans Thursday night that would impact the city’s ash tree population.
The emerald ash borer, a small green insect, initially infested ash trees in Michigan eight years ago and since has spread to Illinois and Wisconsin, city forester Marla Eddy said.
The infestation mostly spread through firewood movement as people would unknowingly haul infested firewood from one city to another, she added.
The insect only harms ash trees and is about one-half inch long, smaller than a grasshopper.
Eddy said the larvae feeds on the interior of the tree to reach maturity, causing the tree to die out.
The dead ash tree causes a safety concern because the branches are brittle and fall apart.
In some cases where one ash tree is infested, trees up to a mile around will already house the emerald ash borer, Eddy said.
She added the infestation grows exponentially.
Madison organizational developer and training officer Karl van Lith presented seven options, some preemptive and others reactive, for the public to assess.
Several options featured the anticipatory removal of ash trees less than ten inches in diameter. Another preemptive option included removing and replacing all ash trees on city streets.
Lith said city residents could help the cause by educating themselves on the Emerald Ash Borer and refraining from purchasing firewood from outside of quarantine areas.
The nearest known infestation is located near Rockford, Ill., approximately 64 miles away from Madison, Tim Fruit from the Madison comptroller’s office said.
“It’s a matter of when, not if,” Madison resident Mick Skwarok said. “Madison is doing a heck of a nice job planning for the emerald ash borer.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the looming infestation is worrisome because the downtown area is packed with ash trees. He added in typical Madison fashion, the city is trying to include the public input in the decision making process.
“Tonight’s meeting emphasized how critical the situation is,” Verveer said. “There’s no denying the impending crisis.”
According to Fruit, Madison houses over 70 thousand ash trees with 22 thousand located along city streets. Estimated costs for removing and replacing every ash tree could reach up to $13 million.
“Our community is very attuned to its trees,” Eddy said. “When we remove a tree, often the first question we hear is ‘When will it be replaced?'”
While some plans opt to remove and replace trees preemptively, others would replace infested trees as they become a public safety hazard, Lith said.
Other plans offer the additional component of chemically treating ash trees with insecticides.
However, Lith said the treatments require annual or bi-annual application and the impacts of the chemicals are currently unknown.
He added some products discourage use within 100 feet of water, which would be problematic for Madison.
Currently, the Department of Natural Resources is not recommending chemical treatments unless a known infestation exists 15 miles from the home, Lith said.
However, Lith said the city is currently investigating an organic treatment with a potentially less harmful environmental impact.
