The City of Peoria plans to cut down more than 1,100 trees to combat emerald ash borer infections. The city also hopes to plant several new varieties:
The City of Peoria has about 60 infant oak and Kentucky Coffee trees near the Public Works building, with the mission to take in sunlight and double in size in the next 18 months. Peoria Urban Forestry Manager Dave Haste says the goal is to not only replace trees infected by emerald ash borer, but to plant in older neighborhoods with sparse-vegetation:
“We just have a lot of bare right-of-way, and the trees helps us so much with stormwater runoff that it’s just worth it for us to get trees back out in the right-of-way.”
The City plans to remove all the problem-trees in four years. Haste says simply treating the infection is a slow, losing battle:
“You can never reverse the damage. If it’s 30-percent destroyed at that point, you’ll never get that back.”
Haste says the city hopes to plant 800 new trees this fall. He says the city also has information online for residents to better spot trees infected with emerald ash borer on private property.
A link to tips to combat the emerald ash borer is available by clicking here.