Emerald Ash Borer detected - Estes Park Trail Gazette

CITY FORESTER

Emerald Ash Borer detected

Officials urges residents to protect their ash trees and save the city’s urban forest

Emerald Ash Borer Adult

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By Jody Street

jstreet@prairiemountainmedia.com

The City and County of Denver has been preparing for — and on the lookout for — the emerald ash borer (EAB) for nearly 10 years, and the invasive wood-boring insect was recently identified in the City and County of Denver on June 17. EAB was confirmed by entomology experts from Colorado State University and Denver’s Office of the City Forester.

There are 1.45 million ash trees in the Denver metro area, with 330,000 of them in the City and County of Denver. That means about 1 in every 6 trees in the Mile High City is an ash tree, and 1 in every 10 trees on public land in Denver is an ash tree.

“We’re grateful that our Office of the City Forester has been preparing for this inevitable discovery, yet this is not a low-stakes battle. EAB has devastated ash tree populations in 37 U.S. states and parts of Canada, costing those communities billions of dollars. Based on this widespread destruction, we’ve been proactively battling EAB for nearly a decade,” said Denver Parks & Recreation Executive Director Jolon Clark. “In 2016, the Office of the City Forester launched a public education campaign, Be A Smart Ash, to encourage residents to be smart about their ash trees—take action, identify ash trees and, when necessary, treat or replace them.”

According to Luke Killoran, Denver’s City Forester, “Denver has replaced small ash trees on city-maintained land, and a rigorous treatment schedule is in place for some of the historic ash trees on city property. Denver residents who have room in the public right of way next to their property may be eligible for a free replacement tree and we encourage community members to learn more about that to help sustain our urban forest.”

Killoran was previously the City Forester in Lakewood, where he helped manage the arrival of EAB in that community in 2024. “We learned a lot in Lakewood, and we are ready to respond in Denver to limit the effects EAB could have on our tree canopy.”

To date, the Be A Smart Ash program has resulted in: Approximately 1,500 trees planted per year since the campaign began 10 years ago to help to decrease gaps caused by ash tree losses Removal of more than 1,000 ash trees The treatment of 6,000 ash trees in parks and parkways More than 70,000 visits in the past year to the Be A Smart Ash website, where residents can learn more about how to identify and protect their ash trees from EAB

Residents can learn more by visiting BeASmartAsh.org for valuable resources such as how to identify ash trees, signs of EAB infestation and resources to help residents take action by treating or removing ash trees on their property.

EAB tips:

1. Don’t procrastinate: Early detection is key to managing the threat posed by EAB, so don’t wait to identify if you have an ash tree.

2. Develop a plan: So you have an ash tree—now what? The short answer is that you have two options: treatment or replacement. Contact a licensed tree expert to help execute your EAB defense plan.

3. Know what to look for: How can you tell if your ash tree is infested with EAB? Look for D-shaped exit holes, bark falling off the tree, wavy trail lines and Northern Flickers (type of woodpecker), among other things. Residents can view a full photo gallery of what you should be looking for.

4. Share what you know: Talk to your neighbors, friends and co-workers about EAB and what they should look for on their ash trees.

5. Buy local, burn local: If you don’t move any firewood, you won’t move any borers. People unknowingly contribute to the spread of EAB when they transport firewood or other products from ash trees, as EAB larvae stealthily survive and travel hidden under the bark. If an ash tree absolutely must be moved, work with a licensed tree care professional to remove and take all debris.

“We’re in this for the long haul, actively seeking to partner with residents in the City and County on how to treat and/or replace their ash trees both now and in the years ahead,” Killoran said. “We simply can’t stress enough how important it is for Denver residents to take action when it comes to identifying, treating and/or replacing their ash trees as soon as possible.”

Properly administered treatments are 95% effective. Tree removal and replacement can be dangerous work, so it’s highly recommended that residents work with a reputable tree care professional no matter which course of action they choose to take in battling EAB.

When EAB was found in Denver, the Office of the City Forester immediately provided a specimen from the tree to the Colorado State University Entomology Department for confirmation, and the suspect tree was also visited. The Colorado EAB Response Team includes members from the following agencies/organizations: various Front Range municipalities, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado State University Extension, Colorado Tree Coalition, Green Industries of Colorado, University of Colorado and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

About Be A Smart Ash

Be A Smart Ash is a public education campaign from the City Forester, an office within Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR). The Be A Smart Ash campaign educates residents in the City and County of Denver on EAB and encourages residents to be smart about their ashes — take action, identify ash trees and (when necessary) treat or replace them. For more information on the Emerald Ash Borer and to learn how to Be A Smart Ash, visit BeASmartAsh.org or follow us on X: (@DenverParksRec), Instagram: (@DenverParksRec), Facebook and YouTube.