A common topic at the Environmental Protection committee over the last several years has been the arrival in Central New York of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive insect originating from Asia. The bug, which is the size of a Tic Tac, gets its name from its shiny, deep green appearance and its devastating impact on ash trees.
Our committee spends a great deal of time studying this topic. There are approximately 44,000 ash trees on county property in places where they pose a risk to people, buildings, fences, parking lots, roadways and equipment if they were to fall. Over the next decade, the EAB will kill each and every ash tree in Onondaga County, and it could cost upwards of $14 million to remove every one.
Our employees have been working diligently with experts to devise a plan to minimize the inevitable risks in a cost effective manner, and three major strategies have emerged to address the problem: tree removal, selected inoculation and the introduction of natural predators of the EAB.
The most dangerous trees along roadways and parking lots are being selected for removal, but certain parts of the county, such as Onondaga Lake Park’s Willow Bay, would be devastated by the loss of the great canopy of ash leaves shading popular recreation areas. The county has contracted with the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to inoculate dozens of giant ash trees in an effort to preserve the character of the park, and the SWCD has done a tremendous job training staff and developing expertise in the frequency of treatment to maximize taxpayer dollars.
SUNY ESF is working on a program to introduce natural predators of the EAB known as “parasitoids.” These are fruit fly-size insects that feed on the EAB in the larval state and will help suppress, though not eradicate, the population of adults. A great deal of research has been conducted to make sure these predatory species do not cause any other environmental problems. Slowing the spread of the EAB will give us more time for removal and inoculation before nature takes its course.
The EAB is not just a problem for county government. Towns, villages, businesses and homeowners are also affected. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) has really taken the lead on organizing public outreach and gathering information from homeowners with positive EAB trees for data collection and to track the infestation. For more information on identifying ash trees or to determine if trees on your property are infected, visit their website at cceonondaga.org/environment.
Derek Shepard represents the 13th legislative district, which includes the town of Van Buren, the town of Elbridge and portions of the town of Camillus. Derek welcomes constituent feedback; he can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 635-3875.
