Libertyville's fight with emerald ash borer nears end
By the end of September, Libertyville's fight against the tree-killing emerald ash borer will be over.
It will take longer to replace all the ash trees that have fallen to the metallic green beetle, but recent actions taken by the village board ensure all the dead or dying ash trees in town will have been removed and more residents will be able to participate in a 50-50 replacement program.
Since the pest was discovered in Libertyville in summer 2010, the village, like many suburbs, has taken an incremental approach to removing it.
"Now seven years into this it's time to get it done. The board felt the same way," said Village Administrator Chris Clark.
Initially, the village planned to replace 300 ash trees this season as part of its removal program. But bids for various-sized and types of trees were lower than expected, prompting a recommendation to add another 500 to the order with Sawvell Tree Service of Mundelein.
That means 800 trees will be removed by no later than Sept. 30, at a cost of $301,715. When that work is done, a total of about 2,800 ash trees will have been removed from tree banks, parks and other public land in Libertyville.
"This year closes out the removal process. We'll be coordinating with residents," Clark said.
The work is expected to begin by June 1 and property owners can sign up for a replacement tree through a village program that pays half the cost, according to Jim Barlow, superintendent of parks, forestry and grounds.
Funding for that purpose more than doubled in the pending 2017-18 budget. Reimbursement for tree replacement typically has been about $35,000 a year, according to Clark.
"This year, we're going to put in $80,000. We'd like residents to participate (but) it's their choice," he said.
Village crews in past years did some of the work but outsourcing the remaining removals frees staff to work on parks, general maintenance and other projects.
Ray Sawvell, who has been in the tree business 36 years, said similar efforts in other towns across the region also are coming to an end.
"It's just a horrible little bug that gave a lot of tree companies a lot of work," he said of the emerald ash borer.
Sturdy and fast-growing, ash trees were a favorite at one time for new developments. But some neighborhoods have been decimated as a result and the emerald ash borer invasion has resulted in a much more diversified approach to tree planting.
In Libertyville, 12 species, including a wide range of maples, hackberry and others, will be used as replacements, Clark said.
Neighboring Vernon Hills has used about 25 types of replacement trees. Altogether, Vernon Hills has spent about $850,000 since 2011 to remove and replace 2,966 ash trees.
The village has 500 ash trees left on public properties, although about 250 of those are receiving treatment, according to David Brown, public works director/village engineer.