Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
City to cut down trees in worst condition first
As evidenced by the large circles covering this map, only a few areas in northwest Iowa remain free of a confirmed EAB infestation.
Plans to deal with an impending invasion are continuing to form in Everly.
The city council on June 20 OK'd a plan that would treat two ash trees with pesticides at the park and water tower. The vast majority of ash trees on city-owned property won't be so lucky, as city Street Superintendent Nate Fitzgerald suggested they get cut down within a two-year time.
The council first began discussing local ash trees in April. The invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) was confirmed in Clay County this spring, and will eventually destroy most, if not all, of the ash tree population in town once it reaches city limits.
Fitzgerald developed a map of ash trees on city-owned property like the park and rights-of-way. More than 100 ash trees are the city's responsibility, and Fitzgerald reported that all of the ashes inside the park are in poor condition.
He also noted six ash trees are already dead and should be removed immediately. The council instructed Fitzgerald to get bids for removal and report back once a couple trees are taken down in the park. After more information is gathered, the council will move forward with a more formulated plan.
Removal of ash trees on private property will be the property owner's responsibility. Fitzgerald said only ashes that provide shading to a building should be considered for pesticide treatment, as they can be costly over a long period of time.
EAB was found in a park in Spencer in March. So far, the destructive beetle has been located in more than 90 Iowa counties, including O'Brien and Dickinson.
Once in a community, Fitzgerald explained the beetle wreaks havoc in relatively short manner. The adult beetles feed on ash leaves, causing very little damage. It is the cumulative damage by larval feeding on the inner bark that eventually kills ash trees. The feeding cuts off the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients to the canopy, typically killing a tree within two to four years.
EAB is the No. 1 threat to North American ash trees. Originally from Asia, it traveled across the ocean and was first discovered in Michigan in 2002. Experts believe the bugs hid in wood packing material or other shipping containers.
