Algonquin no free lunch for ash borers

Emerald ash borers, which are responsible for killing millions of ash trees in the Midwest, are not welcome in Algonquin.

Village officials said as much Tuesday when they adopted a policy they hope sends the tiny critters packing.

Under the new program, residents can remove their own diseased trees themselves, if they fall within a 10 inch diameter. The village would collect and dispose of the trees properly.

If their damaged trees measure more than that, residents are required to hire a certified company to remove and dispose of the trees for them.

In keeping with long-standing village policy, homeowners would have 60 days to get rid of the trees from the date they secure the proper permits.

Owners will be encouraged, but not required, to replace the uprooted trees.

Officials will post additional information for residents on the village's Web site (www.algonquin.org) by Thursday or Friday.

At the same time, the village is already removing decaying ash trees it owns within the town's right of way areas.

Officials estimate there are 4,400 trees in these areas, although not all have fallen victim to the ash borer's voracious appetite.

Steve Ludwig, the parks and forestry superintendent, says the village has already uprooted and destroyed 42 diseased trees from those places.

He finds new ones every day and says that out of the village's roughly 40 quadrants, four have shown evidence that the ash borer has eaten there.

Ludwig's department found 22 infected ash trees in the Terrace Lake subdivision alone and evidence shows they had been infested for three years, Ludwig said.

Those trees likely came from a nursery in Woodstock that the developer hired to plant the trees, he said.

Village Manager William Ganek says the village is making ash tree removal and replacement a priority as much as it can, given its staffing levels, funding and equipment.

But he warned that the village won't be able to keep up with the pesky insect as much as it would like and said the ash borer will be responsible for feeding on lots of village trees.

Their removal will change the town's appearance and image, he said.

"You lose 20 to 25 percent of your public tree stock, I think that's going to have an impact," Ganek said, noting that Algonquin prides itself on being a Tree City and understands their environmental benefits.

He said the village is looking into securing grants to help with speedy removal and replacement.

Ludwig said the money simply isn't there to keep up with the insects' voracious appetite and is looking at different ways to earn revenue.

Turning the trees into mulch and selling it for a profit is one idea.

Still, it costs $100 to remove one tree and $300 to plant another in its place, he said.

He predicts "years" of lag time between ash tree removal and replacement will be necessary to get the work done and spread out the cost as much as possible.

Algonquin has seen a proliferation of ash trees because they're cheap, grow fast and are easy to maintain.

They replaced the American elm trees which he says were decimated by Dutch elm disease, spread by beetles.

He shudders at the thought of some other bug replacing the ash borer.

"I'm terrified if something else decides to rear its ugly head," he said.