Emerald ash borers take a huge toll on St. Paul’s trees

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City staff say the trees marked due to emerald ash borer disease will come down yet this year. Trees along boulevards will be replaced, although not all of the replacement trees may be planted this fall. City staff say the trees marked due to emerald ash borer disease will come down yet this year. Trees along boulevards will be replaced, although not all of the replacement trees may be planted this fall.

By JANE MCCLURE

Emerald ash borers, coupled with back-to-back June storms, have taken a huge toll of St. Paul’s trees. That means area residents won’t see the large-scale tree removal projects they have seen in the past, as has happened in the Como and St. Anthony Park neighborhoods.

But if you are one of the folks wondering if that marked tree on your street will be cut down before year’s end, take heart. City staff say the marked trees will come down yet this year. Trees along boulevards will be replaced, although not all of the replacement trees may be planted this fall.

City forestry crews have faced some long hours this year, not only with emerald ash borer but with storms June 21 and 22. It took more than three weeks for city crews to clear residential storm debris. More than 500 city boulevard and park trees were toppled, along with an unknown number of trees on private property. Parts of Hamline-Midway and Como were especially hard-hit.

Hamline-Midway, Como Park, Desnoyer Park and St. Anthony Park neighborhoods have the dubious distinction of being St. Paul neighborhoods where emerald ash borers have been found since 2009. The pests, which are from Asia, are destructive to all species of ash trees. Although city forestry staff are experimenting with pesticide treatment of some trees, it’s likely St. Paul and other communities will eventually lose all of their ash trees.

In the past some neighborhoods have had dozens if not more than 100 ash trees removed at a time, in a structured removal program. Because so many boulevard and park trees are marked and awaiting removal this fall, city forestry staff won’t do the usual neighborhood-wide structured removal programs they have done in past years. St. Paul Department of Parks and Recreation spokesperson Dan Udem said the plan instead is to complete removals of infested and declining trees that have been marked throughout St. Paul.

St. Paul has been battling emerald ash borers since the borers were found in South St. Anthony Park’s Hampden Park area in 2009. Since then infested trees have been found in the Desnoyer Park neighborhood, two areas of Hamline-Midway neighborhood, Prospect Park in Minneapolis, the Summit-Dale area, Como Park, Pig’s Eye Lake/Battle Creek and near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Since 2009, 4,733 ash trees have been removed from boulevards and parks. It’s not known how many trees on private property have been removed. That is the responsibility of property owners and not the city.

If the insects spread as anticipated, St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hahm said emerald ash borer infestation of trees could peak in 2016-2017, which would launch years of stepped-up tree removal efforts. If that is correct, city officials will have to look at investing more money in what is spent to combat the pests, and remove and treat trees.

Increases proposed to the city’s right-of-way fund starting in 2014 would add another $100,000 to deal with emerald ash borer-infested trees. The proposed 2014 budget for treatment and tree removal is $425,750.

Under various future budget scenarios, the costs of tree treatment and removal could rise to more than $2.775 million by 2019. That means difficult decisions are ahead for City Council members, who must address how quickly trees are removed or treated. It will all depend on how quickly emerald ash borers spread throughout the city.

Hahm said one indicator residents should watch for is the presence of woodpeckers, who are drawn to declining trees and insect infestations. “Woodpeckers are the canary in the coal mine,” said Hahm.

Every community controls emerald ash borers in different ways, with some communities using chemical treatment of trees and other communities simply cutting the trees down. St. Paul is using a combination of measures to deal with emerald ash borers.

Trees that are declining or have structural issues are removed from right-of-way. In areas where residential street paving projects take place, there are stepped-up efforts to remove ash trees. In some areas where the insects have been found, the city is treating some boulevard trees. This year, 198 trees treated in 2011 will be retreated, with an additional 300 trees treated for the first time in Desnoyer, the Summit-Dale area and Como. One concern about treatment versus removal is the ongoing costs of treatment versus removing and replacing ash trees with other species. The pesticide cost is about $12,500 per year.

Residents may also get permits and pay to treat their boulevard trees, using measures approved by the city.

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