Emerald ash borer turns up in Skokie, Illinois

from the Chicago Tribune...

By Dan Gibbard

Tribune staff reporter

Published April 26, 2007

To no one's great surprise, the tree-killing emerald ash borer has been found in Skokie, officials said Wednesday.

State agriculture officials confirmed infestation of a tree at Crawford and Grant Avenues, not far from the areas of Wilmette and Evanston where the pest was found last year, a village release said.

"We knew it was just a matter of time until the emerald ash borer was found in Skokie," Village Manager Albert Rigoni said in the statement.

Village foresters have "a detailed emerald ash borer management plan that includes removing infested trees, participating in experimental treatment programs and systematically replacing as many public ash trees as possible," Rigoni said.

Skokie has about 3,000 ash trees, 12 percent of the 24,000 trees the village has on public property.

Max Slankard, Skokie's public works director, said village foresters will begin a systematic survey of all parkway ash trees, and any that are ailing or show evidence of infestation will be slated for removal.

The village already has budgeted $61,000 for replacing about 250 parkway trees in 2007. For now, residents are on their own for removing trees on private property.

The emerald ash borer has affected millions of trees across the Midwest in recent years. It has also been found in Kane County.