WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Emerald Ash Borer Invading Northeast Wisconsin

Emerald Ash Borer Invading Northeast Wisconsin

     City foresters are giving a gloomy outlook for the future of Northeast Wisconsin's millions of ash trees.  A day after it's confirmed the Emerald Ash Borer is present in Green Bay, city and village foresters from around the region meet in Greenville...trying to get a handle on what's to come.

Appleton City Forester Michael Michlig says, "Each community is talking about their procedures, what they're going do politically, what they're going do operationally and how it's going impact your day to day operations."

 Foresters feel an infestation of the tree-killing beetle in their cities and towns is inevitable.

"In our area we anticipate most if not all the ash trees will no longer be there and we're preparing for that, says Michlig."

 As for trying to save the trees...too expensive they say.  Appleton's forester estimates it would cost taxpayers more than $200,000 dollars a year to treat the city's 50,000 ash trees with an insecticide.

"In these tight times we're not going to get any more money and we completely understand that so on a scale that large, removal is pretty much our only option, says Michlig."

De Pere's forester expects a similar fate for the 16,000 ash trees in his city.

De Pere City Forester Don Melichar says, "We've stopped planting probably 5 years ago, stopped planting ash and we're starting to replace ash, being a little more aggressive with our removal."