By Sheri Gasser
Northside News

Since its appearance was first confirmed in November 2013 near Warner Park, the emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation has spread to the east side of Madison and to Middleton. At stake are tens of thousands of ash trees on private and city property.

Ash trees make up a high percentage of our urban forest largely due to previous diseases that decimated other species. When Dutch elm disease hit in the 1950s, ash was a popular replacement species. This lack of species biodiversity will leave many of our streets looking bare.

The spread of EAB has been exacerbated by the transportation of firewood. Ash is a brittle wood and, unlike other types of wood, will burn right after being cut down. Dane County, along with most of southern Wisconsin, has been under quarantine for firewood transportation.

Despite efforts to slow the spread, area ash trees will soon show signs of the disease. During a Nov. 24 community meeting, city forester Marla Eddy said, “Our community has the opportunity to make some choices in dealing with this natural catastrophe.” She explained that the goal is to not remove all affected trees at the same time, adding, “We want to control how we’ll lose our trees.” Waiting for the affected trees to die, however, would be a public safety hazard.

There are approximately 21,000 ash street trees in the city of Madison, and about one-third of them will receive chemical treatment injections every two years. Street trees less than 10 inches in diameter won’t receive treatment because multiple drill points could destabilize the tree. Trees that are under power lines with clearance pruning and trees in poor condition that won’t effectively absorb the treatment also will not be treated.

Street trees that are to be cut down are marked with a yellow dot. City crews are currently making the rounds on the Northside. Once the ash trees are removed, the goal is to replant as many trees as possible as soon as possible. Eddy said the replacement rate is at about 80 percent, and the goal is to plant new trees within three growing seasons. The city will be using 20 different replacement species, and the goal is to have three different species on each block. Having more diversity will help protect against future diseases and pests.

For homeowners, the first step is to identify any ash trees on their property. There are two main options — treatment or removal. With the confirmed presence of EAB on the Northside, all ash trees are in danger and now is the time for homeowners to do their research. For more information, check out the City of Madison EAB webpage at www.cityofmadison.com/parks/services/forestry/pests/EAB.