St. Charles to plant 500 new trees in wake of ash borer infestation

St. Charles' war against the Emerald Ash Borer infestation was a landscaping massacre. When the infestation began, the city had about 7,000 ash trees along its parkways. Only 216 remain. But city officials are ready to move its urban forestry program out of the triage phase and into planting, with more of a parkway melting pot.

Aldermen tentatively approved a $165,000 fall and spring planting program Monday night. The program will see 500 new trees planted in the city over the course of the two planting seasons.

The cost of the pending program is small compared to the price St. Charles residents have already paid to try and maintain the city's beauty. When the reality of the sheer number of ash tree casualties became apparent at the onset of the pest infestation, aldermen borrowed $3 million to fund a near one-to-one replacement program. That money is now spent, and AJ Reineking, the city's public works manager, told aldermen the removal of ash trees has tapered off. The most recent round of inspections fueled the removal of 54 ash trees.

A diverse forestry will be the key to avoiding any future tree apocalypse, Reineking said.

The city will plant about two dozen different varieties of trees in the upcoming fall and spring plantings. That follows a "20-10-5 Rule" that city officials are following according to what's become an urban forestry best management practice. The rule says that, of the trees to be planted, no more than 20 percent should be of the same family; no more than 10 percent should be of the same genus; and no more than 5 percent of the trees should be of the same species. That applies not only to parkway trees, but also to the city's overall tree population.

The pending contract is set to be awarded to the Kirkland-based St. Aubin Nursery. The price includes the cost of the actual trees as well as the planting. There is also a two-year guarantee built in that calls for the replacement of any tree that doesn't survive.

The fall planting would begin in early September. The spring planting would begin shortly after the end of the final winter frost.