Indiana Parks Alliance wins grant for saving 100 ash trees

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Parks Alliance is moving ahead with a push to protect seed-producing ash trees at state parks and nature preserves from a tree-killing insect.

The alliance says a recent $20,000 grant from the Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust boosted to nearly $29,000 the amount it's raised for its "Save Our Ash Trees" campaign .

Alliance President Tom Hohman says the group's volunteers will use that money to initially treat 100 mature, seed-producing ash trees at several state parks and preserves with insecticides to ward off the emerald ash borer.

That invasive insect has killed tens of millions of ash trees nationwide since 2002.

The alliance hopes to maintain a remnant ash tree population in Indiana toward creating a future seed source of ash trees resistant to the insect.