SUN CITY – For much of the past year, the Sun City board of directors has been discussing and studying what to do about ash trees that are or may become infected by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) predator.
The discussion has ended. The bottom line board decision is to continue with a two-part program of removal and selective replacement, and treatment, with a long-term goal of saving the species and avoiding its eradication.
“Our end goal is actually on the positive side of hope,” according to Chris Leuck, Sun City’s landscape services supervisor.
“We’ve had conversations with Michigan State University, the University of Illinois Extension Entomologist, and the Morton Arboretum. We intend to ‘save’ some of our ash trees that will undoubtedly succumb to the ash borer if nothing is done. It is not expected that every treated tree will survive, unfortunately that is impossible. We will lose trees that are treated, but the hope is we will also ‘save’ some trees that are treated.”
There are about 500 ash trees remaining in the common areas and Attached Product Neighborhood (APNs) now,” Leuck said. “About 252 trees were chemically treated in 2012 and about 242 in 2013. Some of them were lost due to the emerald ash borer and lightning strikes, storm damage, and vehicle damage. So far in 2014, about 240 trees will be treated. Treatments cost about $70.00 per tree, and consist of injecting the trunk with a chemical that is taken up into the upper portion of the tree’s canopy. If successful, it kills the EAB infecting the tree. The residual effect of this action lasts for a total of two years. Treatments are required to be done every other year.
Leuck also said several surrounding communities were contacted about their EAB policies. “The Villages of Huntley and Algonquin remove and selectively replace trees without treatment. The Village of Lake in the Hills removes and selectively replaces and treats a small portion of their ash trees based on the symptoms we look for,” Leuck said. “Our plan is similar to Lake in the Hills because removal and selective replacement will continue, while treatment has been decided upon for about 240 trees in our common areas and Attached Product Neighborhoods.”
Diversity will be the focus of replacing trees, Leuck said. “Based on proximity to other trees and locations of the trees removed, some of the removed ash trees will be selectively replaced with a variety of species that are hardy to our area. The diversity of multiple species, not one single species, will decrease the likelihood of another ‘monoculture’ of a single species that will lead to devastating results if they become infected or diseased with some new form of bacteria.”
About 750 ash trees were planted in Sun City’s common areas by Del Webb more than a decade ago, before the Emerald Ash Borer was discovered.
