Village Continuing Battle Against Emerald Ash Borer Infestation

By now most of Oswego is familiar with the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).

The beetle showed itself in Oswego in September of 2010 and has continued to burrows itself into Ash trees throughout the village, killing them from the inside.

The Village has been cutting down infected trees in all public places and parkways and well over 1,000 trees have already been removed.

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Russ Garcia, Public Works Supervisor of Grounds Operations,  said there are still several subdivisions that will be undergoing a first round of removal of ash trees.

They are: Victoria Meadows, Farmington Lakes, River Run, Park Place, River Mist, Churchill, Ogden Falls, Kings Brook Crossing, Ashcroft Place, Prescott Mill and Lincoln Station.

“We are only taking down trees that we visually confirm the infestation of the EAB,” aid Garcia. He said it is likely Public Works will be making a second round in areas they have already checked.

Trees that have the highest infestation and thus the most safety issues are being addressed first.

The only trees that the Village is removing are those that are on parkways. Infested ash trees on a private property are to be removed at the homeowner’s discretion.

For areas that have already had their ash tree removed and have been left with a stump, Garcia said the tree replacement all depends upon the contractor who won the bid.

The Village purchased 500 trees last fall to replace many of the ones being removed.

Garcia explained that the contractor will lay out a plan of replacement that is most efficient. Although there is no set timeline, he said there were plans for the trees to be dug out of the nursery in the next week so replacements should be visible in the near future.

What kind of tree might you be getting if your ash tree was cut down?

The following trees were planted in the fall of 2012 and are most likely going to be planted this spring:

Swamp white oak, bur oak, hybrid elm, Kentucky coffee tree, hackberry, autumn blaze maple, Norway maple and sugar maple.

Tell Us: Have you experienced the Emerald Ash Borer in your yard?