While Denver braces for the arrival of the , a metallic green flying insect that destroys ash trees, city officials have asked for the public’s help in identifying and dealing with this threat to the urban forest.
A campaign called “Be A Smart Ash” offers resources for how to identify ash trees and signs of the insect infestation, with tips for how to treat or remove affected trees from private property. Information can be found at .
Certain treatments can be highly effective in eradicating the pests, but sometimes tree removal is the most viable option. The city forester will care for ash trees in public areas and parks, but residents are responsible for dealing with ash trees on their property.
However, residents who lose ash trees in the public right of way next to their property could be eligible for free replacement trees via applications available on the web site.
The emerald ash borer was discovered in Boulder nearly three years ago and, while the pests haven’t been found yet in Denver, they pose a serious threat because one in six trees in the city is an ash. The insect doesn’t generally migrate far, but movement of ash tree firewood and nursery stock can allow it to spread.
Already, the emerald ash borer has affected ash tree populations in 25 states and parts of Canada, with damages estimated in the billions of dollars.
