Palatine readies for ash borer invasion

With the emerald ash borer closing in, Palatine will take proactive measures to try to minimize damage from what officials say is a pending infestation.

The village will replace 76 ash trees in its public parkways this fall, most in the Northview neighborhood near Plum Grove Road and Northwest Highway.

The action comes after last week's news that the tree-killing beetle was discovered in both St. Charles and Algonquin.

"It's to the west, east and south of us," Public Works Director Andy Radetski said. "It's not a question of if it reaches Palatine, it's a question of when."

The targeted trees are considered especially susceptible to the borer, having been identified as declining, dying or structurally unsound. They're the first of 276 trees the village plans to replace with maple, linden and other tree varieties over the next four years.

"If we get rid of the weakest, then maybe, just maybe, Palatine can survive the infestation," Radetski said. "We're trying to stay ahead of the curve."

Nearly 20 percent, or 4,800, of Palatine's 25,000 parkway trees are ash. The price tag to replace all of them: about $12 million, according to Radetski, who doesn't know how many ash trees are on private property.

Councilmen approved spending about $50,000 for this project, which includes removal, safe disposal, new trees and planting. Workers will wait until fall, after the borer flight season ends.

Initial efforts are limited to public trees in areas like Northview, where 80 percent of trees are ash. The village also is eyeing the Hunting Ridge, Pebble Creek and Banbury areas for their high concentration.

The borer, blamed for the death of millions of ash trees in Michigan, cuts off the water supply by destroying the vascular system. The pest's presence can be hard to detect because signs often don't appear for a few years.

The village will notify residents who are directly affected, some of whom will see as many as three trees removed from their front yards.