Palatine confirms two cases of emerald ash borer

The day Palatine officials knew would come has arrived.

The village has confirmed its first two cases of tree-eating emerald ash borer, leading Public Works Director Andy Radetski to offer a grim analysis.

"Make no mistake about it," Radetski told the village council on Monday. "We will be losing just about all our ash trees in the village of Palatine."

About 20 percent, or 5,000, of Palatine's 25,000 parkway trees are ash.

The recent discovery of two infected trees at the northwest corner of Palatine Road and Winston Drive prompted the village to adopt the Department of Agriculture's recommendation to remove dead and dying ash trees.

It's a more conservative strategy than in the past, when experts proposed removing all ash trees within a half-mile of an infestation. Experience over the last three years has shown that the ash borer can travel up to three miles per year, so the insect has likely moved beyond the quarantine by the time its effects appear.

Radetski said the modified approach will prolong the life span of ash trees in Palatine by about a decade to between 15 and 20 years.

Last summer, with the destructive insect closing in, the village removed about 75 vulnerable ash trees. The use of chemicals was also discussed, but the cost to annually inject each individual parkway tree -- estimated at $300,000 per year -- was not worth the 30 percent success rate.

The village plans to launch an aggressive inspection and education campaign that includes preparing a newsletter for residents with information on how to identify the borer and prevent its spread.

Palatine will notify property owners near the infestation and also establish a low-interest loan program in the event private ash trees need removal. A permit system will also be implemented to ensure proper disposal.

Initially, Radetski estimates required funding to remove dead and dying ash trees in the $50,000 to $60,000 per year range. The amount could grow to $500,000 annually between 2017 and 2021 -- the expected peak for trees needing removal.

Public works is inventorying ash trees in poor shape from factors such as age and wind damage. Most on the chopping block are located in the Cinderella Park subdivision, where more than 80 percent of the trees are ash.