Crow’s Nest: Ash tree removals continue

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager.

We have started the next round of ash tree removals at Crow’s Nest, taking down ones along the road that are beginning to be affected by Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Our original survey identified 200 ash trees along the roads here and over the last couple years we have started removing them, even before the borer was found in our region. Now, it is here.

Emerald Ash Borer has been sweeping across Pennsylvania and leaving all of the native ash trees dead. We’d much rather remove live trees as they are more predictable when they fall and once the borer arrives  the trees will die within three years. Also we are spreading out the cost over multiple budget years to make the process more affordable. We are treating nine ash trees on the preserve with insecticide to ensure they survive the wave of EAB insects, and the rest that are not along roads or near buildings we are leaving alone. These thousands of ash trees will die in place, creating habitat for wildlife, and gradually giving way to other species, changing the ecology of the forest.

The log section below is riddled with borer galleries.

We’re also doing some hazard tree removals of other species while we are working with the arborist. Below, a tuliptree along Northside Road with severe dieback gets notched prior to being felled.

By the end of next week we will be about halfway finished the planned ash tree removals.

We strongly recommend that all landowners who have ash on their properties develop plans to treat or remove the trees. It is already a crises but it will only become more difficult to manage as the trees die. Contact us for details of our strategy of treating, removing, or letting die in place for these beloved trees.