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The potential devastation wrought by emerald ash borer upon Wisconsin's urban and community forests could exceed that of any other forest pest in the recent past. Ash trees are common in both rural and urban areas throughout the state, but EAB will strike cities and villages especially hard. Though ash makes up about 7% of trees in the state's rural forests, it makes up about 20% of the trees in our urban forests. In some Wisconsin communities the proportion of ash is much higher. Ash, especially green ash, is very common in urban areas because it was a popular replacement for the American elm.

Of the state's 770 million ash trees, approximately 5.2 million exist on public and private property within cities and villages. The loss of these urban ash trees would cost property owners and taxpayers:
... $1.5 billion for tree replacement
... $776 million for tree removal and disposal
... $13 million per year in lost tree-canopy function to reduce pollution, lower heating and cooling costs, & absorb storm water runoff

EAB is not a "business as usual" tree pest. It kills quickly and thoroughly. It has completely overwhelmed the staff & budget resources of most communities in infested areas.

Municipal Readiness Planning
EAB is expected to inevitably appear in municipalities across Wisconsin. Ignoring EAB will not make it go away. In fact, the longer municipalities wait to prepare, the greater the burden on local budgets and staff. State and federal agencies cannot eliminate EAB for you. There is no government funding source to pay local costs for EAB, though limited funds may be available for specific uses. For these reasons, municipalities are strongly advised to actively prepare for the insect's arrival, including development of a funding strategy. A well-planned response can minimize the impact, reduce liability, spread out costs and lessen the overall cost of EAB. To help local governments prepare, the DNR Urban Forestry program has produced the "Emerald Ash Borer Toolkit for Wisconsin Communities." The toolkit contains information and guidance on many readiness topics. Toolkit files can be downloaded or a CD ordered at Emerald Ash Borer Toolkit for Wisconsin Communities. See also under Related Documents below for a simple checklist of steps for EAB readiness planning.

What Should Communities Do About Their Ash Trees Before EAB Arrives?
Because dead and dying trees pose risk to life and property, urban ash management options consist of tree removal or pesticide treatment. Tree removal can be reactive, once trees are infested, or preemptive to trees that are not infested. Because the financial, environmental and social impacts of EAB can be acutely high, many communities in EAB's path have chosen to soften the blow through gradual, prioritized, preemptive removal of some of their public ash trees. A municipal tree inventory is invaluable for prioritizing preemptive removals because it can identify ash trees in poor condition, with excessive maintenance needs, in conflict with utility lines or other problem trees. Under the circumstances, removal of such trees is not difficult to justify.

Though pesticide effectiveness varies, in certain circumstances chemical control may be an option for some communities. Read more about pesticides for EAB in the Insecticide Options for Protecting Trees from EAB.

What Can Communities Do With Infested Trees?
An important aspect of readiness planning is determining how infested wood will be handled when EAB arrives, keeping in mind that quarantines will restrict its movement. Who will cut and haul the steady stream of dead and dying trees? Is there an accessible, secured site big enough to store and sort hundreds to thousands of trees and the associated brush and chips, including that coming from private property? How will wood be disposed of or utilized? Do you have equipment capable of handling the amount and size of ash trees your tree inventory has identified? Disposal costs can be reduced with advance planning. Don't wait until EAB arrives to investigate options! See under Related Documents below for descriptions of various wood disposal and utilization options.

Begin Restoring the Urban Forest Now!
EAB can dramatically compromise urban tree infrastructure. Functional tree benefits, such as storm water moderation, lowered energy costs, improved air quality, and shading & protection from ultraviolet radiation will be reduced unless canopy is promptly restored through tree planting. But don't wait until EAB arrives to begin planting! Use your tree inventory to locate, prioritize and begin filling vacant planting sites now, when time and budgets are far less constrained than they will be when EAB arrives. Small trees provide few functional benefits, so trees planted now have a better chance of reaching canopy size and providing environmental services by the time EAB arrives. Avoid future catastrophic loss by selecting a diverse mixture of site-appropriate trees. Consult your inventory and steer clear of trees already comprising >20% of your tree population. And be sure to plan and budget for future maintenance of any trees you plant. For a list of possible tree replacement choices, see Alternatives to Ash Trees. (Note that not all trees on this list are hardy throughout Wisconsin or suitable for all planting sites.)

For more information regarding municipal forestry please contact your Regional Urban Forestry Coordinator.

For more information regarding concerns about private yard trees please contact your County UW-Extension office.



Related Documents
A checklist of suggested activities for readiness planning.
EABReadinessChecklistMar09ccw.doc

Descriptions of various wood disposal and utilization options as of January 2009.
Managing_Infested_Wood_1-15-09.pdf

A list of Wisconsin Wood Residue Brokers. A useful tool for people looking for a place to take woody "residue" after pruning or cutting.
wood_residue_brokers.pdf


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EAB kills quickly as its population builds. Streets suddenly become lined with dozens to thousands of dead and dying trees at risk of causing personal injury and property damage.


Infested communities have had to pull staff away from their normal duties and quickly train them for tree removal. Many municipal tasks and services go undone.


EAB creates a lot of wood residue! Some options for wood utilization or disposal include lumber and value-added products, industrial boiler fuel, mulch, chips for composting, local-use firewood, landfill or other burial, incinerator (air curtain destructor), or other licensed wood burning. Some uses may require DATCP and/or DNR permits, licensing or certification.



Readiness planning includes training municipal staff how to look for EAB. Though DATCP monitors for the insect across the state, the more eyes trained to look for EAB, the more likely it will be detected earlier, when local EAB populations are smaller and subsequent impacts less acute.

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