#1 Update on Emerald Ash Borer in Janesville
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE MEMORANDUM
July 11, 2012
TO: City Council
FROM:Tom Presny, Parks Director
Rebecca Smith, Management Assistant
SUBJECT: Update on Emerald Ash Borer in Janesville
The purpose of this agenda item is to share an update with the City Council concerning
the emerald ash borer (EAB) presence in Janesville; and detail necessary tasks for the
future.
Key Points Regarding EAB
While federal and state government will play a role in public outreach and
education there are neither state mandates nor funding to implement EAB
recommendations.
Local governments are responsible for adopting recommendations and enacting
ordinances regarding EAB.
There are approximately 3,100 ash trees in street terraces and 30,000 ash trees
in parks and on private property. Most of these trees will be dead within 3-5
years.
When ash trees die, they become very brittle and explode/shatter like glass when
they are dropped to the ground.
The best time to remove ash trees is when they are still green and not yet
entirely infested because removal is safer and less costly.
Staff wishes to work proactively with JSTAC to educate the public regarding trees
to plant to increase the diversity of our trees species.
The City can use this infestation to improve the diversification of its urban forest.
The City will need to increase its level of service in regards to forestry to get
through this infestation.
We will likely need to contract with private tree service companies and arborists
to work with city staff to remove ash trees on city-owned property.
We will likely need to hire a city forester or contract with an arborist to assist with
handling this infestation.
EAB IS Here
On June 26, 2012 Janesville received positive confirmation from the State of Wisconsin
of the presence of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in a dying ash tree located on private
property north of Craig High School. This detection confirms that this pest has been in
our community for at least the past three years.
What is EAB?
The EAB insect is native to Asia and appears to have been introduced on solid wood
packing material to the Detroit, Michigan area sometime in the early to mid 1990s and
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was officially detected there in 2002. Since then it has spread to nine other states and
Canada. Over 15 million ash trees have been lost in Detroit area alone. While EAB is
not a threat to human health it is 100% fatal to untreated native ash trees regardless of
variety, age, size, or site.
Issue Facing Janesville
Parks developed the attached document to highlight information about EAB and the
issues Janesville will be facing in the next 3-5 years. This plan also brings to light the
policy and budgetary questions the Administration and Council will be facing in the
coming years regarding how to remove all of the ash trees and how to better diversify
our tree species in the future.
EAB Information Available
Residents or businesses with questions concerning EAB are asked to visit the city
website at www.ci.janesville.wi.us/eab. There are FAQs, photos and links to helpful
resources from state and federal EAB experts. Residents may also call Rock County
UW Extension at 757-5696 with questions.
City Manager’s Recommendation
The Park Division has been utilizing various resources including a plan developed by
JSTAC and best practices that have developed and utilized more recently by other
communities who have experienced the EAB impacts. Also, the DNR and other
agencies have provided assistance to the Parks in developing its strategy. This is
meant to be an update and an opportunity for the City Council to provide direction
moving forward.
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Next Steps
The Parks Division plans to take the following steps to continue being proactive with
regards to EAB. The Council can also expect to be involved with budgetary and policy
decisions as staff delves further into EAB issues.
Next Steps Concerning EAB
TaskExpected Completion
Meet with Tree Service Companies to answer
their questions/share information and discuss
disposal options
July 2012
Meet with JSTAC to update them on Janesville's
EAB infestation & request their outreach
assistance
August 2012
Work with J-STAC & UW Extension to educate
property owners of ideas for new tree plantings to
encourage a diverse urban forest
August 2012 - ongoing
Determine a safe location(s) where private
residences and businesses may take ash trees
for disposal.
August 2012
Update city ordinance concerning tree
disease/forestry
September 2012
Purchase & install purple detection trapsSpring 2013
As part of 2013 budget process, determine
capital/note issue and operating budget funds
necessary to start the disposal of stricken trees.
Fall 2012
As part of 2013 budget process, determine
capital/note issue requests to purchase new
street terrace and parkland trees.
Fall 2012
Examine whether hiring a forester staff person is
financially viable and examine contracting options.
Fall 2012
Develop handout/communications for ash tree
owners encouraging them to proactively remove
ash trees & plant diverse species; request
assistance from JSTAC
Fall 2012
Examine disposal/utilitization options for ash treesWinter 2012
Attachments
City ordinances
ISSUES FACING JANESVILLE REGARDING EMERALD ASH BORER
CC: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Jacob J. Winzenz, Assistant City Manager
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ISSUES FACING JANESVILLE REGARDING EMERALD ASH BORER
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to lay out the challenges Janesville will face relative to
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) prevention, detection, removal, policy, ordinance creation, as
well as budgetary implications. Several policy decisions and budgetary considerations
by the Council will be necessary in the coming months and years.
Goal
The goal of document is to acknowledge, manage, and minimize the ecological,
economic, and aesthetic effects that Emerald Ash Borer will have on public and private
lands in the City of Janesville. The objectives are to minimize the impact of the emerald
ash borer and the loss of ash trees in the urban forest using the best scientific advice; to
limit the physical and fiscal liability imposed by an infestation of EAB; to protect the
community from hazardous trees and conditions; and to maintain the beauty and
efficacy of the urban forest.
Authority
City forestry ordinances relative to addressing EAB are limited and need to be revised
moving forward. Current ordinances will need to be broadened to include all tree
diseases and insects, instead of just Dutch Elm Disease. Current ordinances allow staff
to order the removal of dead or hazardous trees near a street or sidewalk, but are silent
on trees affecting only private property. A policy decision will need to be made in the
form of an ordinance update as to whether the Council desires staff to be able to order
the removal of dead or hazardous trees from private property when they only affect
other private property.
Education and Outreach
Our knowledge of EAB and management alternatives is provided to us by The
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP), the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Rock County UW-Extension and the
Wisconsin EAB Management Team. While federal and state government will play a role
in public outreach and education there are neither state mandates nor funding to
implement EAB recommendations. Local governments are responsible for adopting
recommendations and enacting ordinances, to protect and /or remove ash trees.
The Rock County UW Extension has offered assistance in handling EAB questions from
the public and is willing to meet with homeowners who think their tree may be infected
with EAB. We also plan to request outreach assistance from the Janesville Shade Tree
Advisory Committee (JSTAC) in regards to encouraging the diversification of our tree
species.
Estimated 33,000 Ash Trees
In 2008 it was estimated that Janesville had 3,100 ash trees located on street terraces.
This amounts to 15% of the 24,835 trees along 345 miles of public streets. This
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estimate was generated by the Janesville Shade Tree Advisory Committee (JSTAC).
JSTAC further estimated that in Janesville’s 34.12 square miles there are another
30,000 ash trees, equally divided upon 2,590 acres of city parkland and private
property. With EAB now present most all of these 33,000 trees will be dead before this
insect subsides in the next 3-5 years.
Assessment of Existing Resources & History of Janesville Forestry Programs
EAB is not a "business as usual" tree pest. It kills quickly and thoroughly. It has
overwhelmed the staff & budget resources of most infested communities for several
years as EAB moves through the community. From these experiences we know that
Janesville will need to add resources so that we are adequately prepared to meet this
infestation head on.
DNR forestry staff has stated that Janesville is Wisconsin’s largest community without a
forestry program. Until the 1970s Janesville had a forestry department with trained
staffing, and supporting by specialized equipment. These resources were dissolved
after the City dealt with Dutch Elm Disease. With forestry resources gone city
ordinances were then revised placing abutting home owners with the responsibility for
street tree planting, care, and removal.
Based on 2008 survey sampling, 36% of Janesville’s potential street planting locations
have trees, in comparison to generally accepted forestry goals of 60% of terraces
having trees (Source: Cornell University research recommendation from the 2008
JSTAC inventory report). After EAB removes the 15% ash tree component, our city
streets will diminish to 21% with terrace trees. Further, tree related decisions are left up
to residents often without benefit of education as to proper site placement, tree
selection, tree pruning and related care.
The Parks Division is staffed with 17 fulltime crew members for seven months of the
year. The Operations Division has a staff of 14 employees equipped to work with trees.
All are experienced in tree removal and operation of appropriate equipment. We do not,
however, have adequate forestry equipment for felling, loading, hauling, chipping or
stump grinding for high production tree removal operations. Nor is current crew size and
equipment capability adequate to handle all EAB related tree work even if distributed
over multiple years.
Additional Resources Required
Parks sees resources needed in these areas:
Funds to remove ash trees from city-owned lands, including funding for
contracting with tree service companies; and
Staff to focus on the EAB infestation;
Funds to replenish our urban forest with new species of trees.
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Contracting additional crews of insured tree service professionals, with arborist
certification, will be necessary to remove city-owned trees that are too large, too tall, or
too technical or outside of the range of the city owned equipment.
A staff person that can focus on the City’s forestry needs, whether being a city
employee or contracted arborist, is necessary to lead Janesville’s forestry efforts to
carry out the removal and replanting of thousands of trees throughout the community. If
hiring a staff person for this position is not possible then we must contract this function
with a certified arborist. Prior to this large impending tree loss we have used city staff as
available to handle minor tree-related projects. We now need a forestry budget and
specialized equipment to carry out insect damage identification, requests for and follow
through on tree removals, documentation and ultimately tree replacement. Because of
this infestation, the Parks Division recommends the City increase its service levels in
regards to forestry moving forward into future budget years.
We need to invest in our community’s future and should not accept the loss of all ash
trees without adequate tree replacement to heal what will be many bare parks and
public roadways. Parks recommends the City provide funding for a tree replacement
program.
Finally the City may wish to become more actively involved in managing public street
terraces rather than leaving this duty to the abutting property owner. We have 350 miles
of city streets where tree decisions are left to abutting property owners who may not be
familiar with or value street terrace trees. Interest, however, in actively managing street
terraces is not without time, staffing and funding needs.
2013 budget processParksrecommendations for
As part of the , will be outlining
EAB-related funding.
Detection and Treatment
Detection of EAB is difficult. Typically a tree has been infested for at least 2-3 years
before outward signs of insect damage are noticeable. Small ‘D’ shaped insect exit
holes ultimately exist in the bark of ash trees and serve as the tell tale sign that EAB is
present. Large purple detection traps will be placed community wide to aid in detection.
EAB insects lay eggs on live trees only. Eggs laying starts near the top of the tree, and
with each generation it lowers on the tree, effectively using and infesting the entire tree
from the top down.
EAB infected trees may be chemically treated if the canopy dieback has not reached
50%; once 50% of the canopy dies, chemical treatment will not help. Thus, treating
selected trees to delay an infestation is an option. The cost of treating a tree is based on
its DBH (tree diameter at breast height). The approximate cost is $13/inch every 2-3
years for injections or $3/inch per year for soil drenching. Available current treatment
options must be done to have any hope of keeping the trees protected. It is suggested
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that the goals of insecticide use are to protect selected specimen or heritage trees and
slow the spread of EAB to allow the replacement of ash trees to be spread over a period
of up to ten years rather than complete it in five or fewer years.
Potential Loss of Value
Loss of community ash trees results in a number of costly impacts including loss in
property value associated with aesthetics; cost of tree and stump removal; lawn
irrigation costs; and seasonal increases in heating and cooling costs without the tree’s
shade and protective qualities. One Michigan community reported a 30 percent increase
in water usage because once-shaded landscapes are now baking under the sun. The
community wide loss of value from losing over 30,000 trees will be measured in the
millions of dollars.
Responsibility
The residents of Janesville are responsible for maintaining all public street terrace trees
abutting their property, per City Ordinance. In addition they are responsible for all
privately owned trees on their property.
When ash trees become fully infested and die, they become brittle; fall easily and
shatter like glass. To ensure public safety, the City will need to enact ordinances and
strictly enforce removal of standing dead ash trees. The City will also be responsible for
removal of hazardous dead ash trees in parks and on other public lands, road medians
and frontage roads.
It is recommended that residents who own ash trees should act now. Arborists certified
by the Wisconsin Arborists Association or the International Society of Arboriculture can
guide planning decisions about treatment, removal, or integration using both
approaches. Locally residents can contact the Rock County UW-Extension office at the
Rock County Courthouse for insect identification and education. If you own ash trees,
there is no getting around the fact that EAB will cost you money. Removal of dry and
brittle standing dead ash trees requires much more time and money subject to their
explosive nature when dropped to the ground. The best time to remove ash trees is
when they are green, supple, and not posing a safety hazard.
Disposal and Utilization of EAB Infested Trees
The City will explore wood utilization options including selling of chipped wood; sawing
as lumber; and burning for energy production; to help defer some of the expenses
associated with wood storage, treatment and removal.
The City will provide a safe area for storage and processing of diseased wood removed
by City crews and residents. The likely location of the disposal site will be the clean fill
demolition compost site. It is premature to know if this site alone will suffice to handle
the volume of infected trees.
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A meeting was conducted with area tree service companies and their beneficial
comments will be used in the creation of disposal practices. Janesville will also meet
with area communities (Beloit, Rock County) to discuss cooperation and scales of
economy with regards to joint purchasing or disposal of infected trees.
Lessons Learned from other Communities
It is 30% cheaper to remove a live ash tree compared to a dead dry tree. Dead trees are
tougher on chainsaws, chipping and grinding equipment and may explode/shatter upon
ground impact, thus taking more time to complete the removal and clean up of the tree.
When to Remove Ash Trees
From many reports and documents we have read we know that the best advice is to get
ahead of the curve by removing as many ash trees as possible before the infestation
reaches large proportions. Removing them early is more cost effective; safer; and aids
in the detection and spread of EAB.
Stumps
Grind out and remove tree stumps when the trees are removed. Stumps complicate and
delay decisions to replant new trees. We have learned from our Dutch Elm Disease
experience that park user prefer entire stumps to be removed for aesthetic reasons, in
comparison to leaving the stumps remain.
Planting New Trees
It’s probable that the best place to plant a new tree is near where the old tree was. Try
to balance the number of ash tree removals over a period of years. Equally important is
to immediately plant replacement trees so growth is phased and even aged trees don’t
compound future maintenance service levels. It is also important to ensure that the
newly planted trees are of diverse species so that future tree disease does not strike
Janesville with the same impact. Staff would like to work with JSTAC in educating the
public on tree planting options.
Conclusions
With the likely loss of over 30,000 trees in the next 3-5 years based on other
communities’ experiences, the City of Janesville will need to increase its forestry service
levels to effectively deal with infected ash trees. There will be several policy and
budgetary decisions before the Council in the coming months. Parks recommends the
City become pro-active in dealing with the infestation and utilize this circumstance to
enhance the diversification of our urban forest.
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