Vernon Hills considers ash borer plan

Vernon Hills has joined the list of communities where the emerald ash borer has emerged, and village officials are considering how to deal with the destructive pest.

"We have it and are developing a plan to combat it," village forester Ken Loar said.

The general strategy likely will be to remove selected ash trees in poor health, while trying to protect those in prominent areas such as the median on Route 60, the village golf course and the Arbortheater.

"I really don't see the need to go out and remove the ash trees right away," Loar said Wednesday during an overview for the village board.

How much the village is willing to invest in chemical treatments, equipment or manpower, and to what extent it might participate in replacing ash trees, will be determined in upcoming village budget discussions.

"We have options, but given the budget, it's going to be pretty challenging," Loar said. "No matter what we do, it's going to cost us money."

At the informal update for the village board and in an interview before the session, Loar explained the ash borer likely has been in the village for two years.

The metallic green beetle was discovered in mid-July on Greenleaf Drive and Emerson Place in the New Century Town neighborhood and confirmed a few weeks later by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The borer also is suspected to be in the Gregg's Landing subdivision near a neighborhood in Libertyville where it also was confirmed this summer.

"So far, we've found about a dozen trees that show symptoms," Loar said.

The discovery is of concern because Vernon Hills has about 3,500 ash trees in the public right of way, which represents about a third of all trees in those areas. There also are "thousands more" on private property, he added.

"Unfortunately, with our ash population beating between 30 (percent) and 35 percent, we're on the very high end," Loar said. "It's pretty much 100 percent destructive to ash trees. If we do nothing, we'll lose all of them."

Ash trees are distributed throughout the town. Gregg's Landing on the north end of town has the most ash trees, but the Deerpath subdivision on the south has the greatest density.

Ash trees were a favorite in Deerpath, which was built in the 1970s, because it survived urban conditions well and grew quickly, he added.

Newly affected trees show few if any symptoms of ash borer infestation and can appear healthy for up to a few years, according to the department of agriculture. That makes it difficult to tell the extent or severity of their presence.

Libertyville is removing parkway trees suspected of being infected. Seven are scheduled to be removed next week, but the village will not replace them.

"It's going to be 100 percent up to the residents," said Jim Barlow, superintendent of parks.

The emerald ash borer has destroyed more than 25 million ash trees since it was confirmed in the Midwest in 2002. It appeared in Illinois about four years ago and infestations have been confirmed in 14 counties, including Lake, Cook, DuPage, Kane and McHenry.

Most of northeast Illinois is under quarantine by the Department of Agriculture to prevent the accidental spread of the beetle.

As of late August, affected Lake County communities include Beach Park, Lake Forest, Buffalo Grove, Round Lake and Barrington Hills.