What You Need to Know... As you might have heard, the Emerald Ash Borer has finally reached the Denver Metro Area putting our local trees at risk. Ash trees need to be treated soon to avoid the disease, otherwise they will eventually need to be removed, potentially costing thousands of dollars, instead of hundreds of dollars. Here are the steps you need to take, according to the Colorado State Forest Service recommendations:
1. Know if you have ash trees. Find out if you do at https://csfs.colostate. edu/forest-management/ash-tree-identification/.
2. Decide if you will have them chemically treated or removed. The EAB is fatal to untreated trees.
Consumers should educate themselves when purchasing chemical products to protect trees against EAB, and talk to a professional forester, extension agent or arborist before applying any treatment.
https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest-management/eab-what-you-can- do/
3. Plant new trees to replace existing ash trees.
Ash trees have been widely planted in Colorado, but because EAB is always fatal to untreated ash trees, avoid planting any true ash species (genus Fraxinus). Instead, consider the following recommendations:
“Plant ahead” and get new trees in the ground that can someday replace ash trees lost to EAB and the shade and other benefits they provided.
An ash tree replacement tool, which includes a list of trees suitable for ash replacement, is available on the Colorado Tree Coalition website: https://www.coloradotrees.org/find
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