By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
People living in the subdivision behind Cross Lutheran Church awoke last week to the sound of chainsaws.
As the weather has grown warmer – and trees have become more accessible – the City of Burlington has begun its work of culling 74 ash trees on its property to curb the spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB).
City Department of Public Works Supervisor Dan Jensen said Monday that the work technically started in January, but is picking up now because the weather is nice – and the DPW has the time.
“We are looking to do as much as we can as time permits,” Jensen said. “The grass isn’t growing and the snow’s gone.
“When the grass starts growing, we’re busy doing other things.”
Jensen estimated that about half of the trees that need to come down have been taken down. The city’s arborist, Mike Vant, is also applying a pre-approved, tree-contained pesticide called “Tree-Age” to at least 210 trees in an effort to confine the EAB spread.
“You’re not going to stop it,” Jensen said. “It’s going to slow it down.”
The EAB has spread quickly after it was confirmed in southeast Wisconsin. A quarantine has been issued for Brown, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago counties.
Jensen said if anyone is unsure of the quarantine boundaries, it’s best not to transport the wood beyond county lines.
For more information, visit http://datcpservices.wisconsin.gov/eab/index.jsp.
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