EAB reaches Wisconsin

[ATH]

Yeah...I was pretty ticked when I saw out town trimmed small (less than 6-8" dbh) ash trees. Could have been one cut and into the chipper quicker than they spent trimming. Even more annoying is that the do plan to remove them all with time...why not start it now instead of trimming?

 

[treevet]

I have no evidence but it appears to be all a $ game. I am not familiar with how the system works but in our town after we voted down treatments and a staged removal plan,.....they formed a committee that had not met in a year and put 3 members from city council that know nothing about trees (as opposed to our UFB) but were all in favor of treatment and they voted in the treatments and leaving small dia. ash. I have seen this game played before in other subjects.

Maybe the more $ they gain in the budget, they can hold on to that even after a program such as this transpires and use it elsewhere. Just strictly a guess on my part. Or maybe there are more insidious reasons.....

 

[Urban Forester]

The people who are making the decisions (city councils/gov't) are greatly influenced by the 'experts' that are directly connected to the big chemical companies. Where do you think the money comes from for their research... gov't (APHIS+USFS = OUR tax $$$!) and chemical manufacturers. No one EVER asks the arborists/urban foresters that have been treating ashes since 1998. When EAB first appeared we fought those same groups (gov't agencies) tooth and nail when THEY said there is NO CONTROL, eradication is the only method that will work, scaring off our clients w/no viable research to support their claims. At that time there was no gov't supported research ($$$). Now they are ALL on the chemical control kick for EVERY ash they can find. The shift in revenue support is to blame. With the reduction in revenue from the feds in areas they believe are "lost causes" the "researchers" look to "other areas" to fund their "research". i.e. chemical companies. EAB wasn't even identified by one of them. A extension Plant Pathologist identified it. He recieved no funding because from the beginning he began contacting arborists to see if what they were doing was working. His research indicated that high value ashes that were treated prior to significant damage to the vascular system could be saved, because they have an amazing ability to compartmentalize damage and still keeping translocating both water/sugar-carbs and the injected product. Because of his stance he was pushed aside and other "experts' were brought in to take his research. Eradication has been an utter and complete failure as population density was beyond control AND due to the fact that ashes may not show symptoms for 2 to 3 years, many trees were passed by, as a strict list of "visable" symptoms was used by gov't survey crews. Had implementaion of treatment protocols been set in 2000 we could've saved many more ash trees. But "you can't fight city hall". But then again "city hall" never asked... Now w/the onset of the "stimulus package" (OUR tax $$$!) gov'ts are looking for ways to spend it. It would appear that everything but brains is being "stimulated".

 

[RRSsawshop]

Just like here in PA. "the plan is they have no plan" sad to see whats going to happen here !!! :monkey:

 

[glennschumann]

Wisconsin takes step to deal with invasives

While the EAB is only mentioned in this article, there is likely to be a wide ranging impact on any profession that deals with horticultural / native flora. Not sure what it means yet, but something appears to be on its way.

Story:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/43435592.html

List of species that is proposed to be regulated in Wisconsin:

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/classification/pdfs/species_proposed.pdf

 

[treevet]

We have a quarantine here on movement of firewood but no one is out there enforcing it. All winter I saw wood being trucked without being checked into non quarantined areas. My guess is they cannot afford to staff the positions and the cops don't want another job.

 

[Urban Forester]

I applaud Wisconsin for developing their 'Invasive List', however as 'Treevet' says "their is no one enforcing it". How many cops would know giant hogweed from a '74 buick, or care. They have their hands full w/other things. This is a typical gov't response, develop a plan(?) w/no way to implement it.

 

[glennschumann]

Spread a little farther than first thought...

Here is the latest in Wisconsin.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/44068972.html

 

[treevet]

They hang the traps, id the infestation areas, quarantine the county if not already done so and then...............what is the next move??????

Years ago they clear cut a 5 mile radius. Gave up on that one.

Now it seems they are focused on protecting high value private trees with research and commercials. Maybe the research (government) is now funded by the commercials?? What do I know, I am just another onlooker (just like they are).

 

[glennschumann]

Cutting EAB trees into lumber...

Well, this is where we are at now...
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/44626312.html

 

[treevet]

Sounds pretty grim Glenn, but with as they say getting a lemon and making lemonade out of it (or something like that).

We in Cinci. are now in bloom of the Black locust. This is generally held as the timing of the emergence of adult EAB.

 

[glennschumann]

Minnesota finds the EAB inside its state lines...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/45089472.html

 

[Urban Forester]

I didn't expect it in Minn. until 2010. Which actually should be saying to Wisconsin that they have a larger population than they think they do... You have to think that even w/"planning" that this insect will run to the edges of the Ash trees natural range.

 

[treevet]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/45089472.html

That is a well structured article and includes all the frustration and give pause to consider the exponential effect that we are now witnessing and expected but hoped to be wrong about.

Arriving earlier than expected, showing up in places unannounced, areas over planted in ash, lack of funding compounding the bleak chances of eradication, dilemma of mass wood accumulation in the horizon but what to do with it as it spreads the infestation to move it.....no enforcement...etc etc.

Even under the best of circumstances, as Urban Forester said, insignificant eradication attempts are like pi$$ing in the ocean.

 

[treevet]

I posted this in another forum/thread but it might get missed there and this is all about helping each other thru this so here is some new info...

We have just days ago had a substantial new find of EAB in the Cinci vicinity.

Here is the website that prob has already been posted to go with it..

www.emeraldashborer.info

 

[treevet]

I visited the sites today and here are a few picts I took. No adults found as is common from what I hear.

 

[treevet]

 

[treevet]

 

[treevet]

 

[treevet]

have a few more but these give the idea of an early infestation. Since it is flight time they are keeping these up as a sink for eggs and after will cut them down (City of Cinci.). Thanks to Cinci. urban forester Matt ####man for directions and info. There were mass groupings of dead mature ash along a creek bed on Clough Pike that would number in the hundreds just from casual observation at a distance.

So strange, even eerie not to see any adults around.

I would love to hear from arborists in past infestation areas as to the progression and history of their areas as to what to expect. It seems so odd that it was discovered here over a year ago and then it went dead quiet for about a year after all the hoopla and now it is all over the news I heard. I got a little inside early info.