News Flash

A component of the City of Dubuque’s Emerald Ash Borer Readiness Plan, adopted in January 2015, calls for the selective removal of poor-condition Ash trees. Tree removal is an important strategy in attempting to contain the spread of EAB* because removal and destruction of infested trees kills the larvae and prevents the further spread of adult EABs. Of the approximate 360 trees in Flora Park, 107 are Ash trees. The 30 trees that will be removed from the park are in very poor condition, most susceptible to EAB infestation, and are not candidates for preventative insecticide treatment. Additional poor condition trees may be removed as time allows.

Ash trees make up a large portion (approximately 24%) of Dubuque’s total canopy. The City is using an inventory of all Ash trees on public property to manage removal, with high-risk trees prioritized and removed first, within the City’s budget. Trees that need to be removed will be handled in accordance with current Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship standards. Unless specifically mandated, the City does not plan to remove all healthy Ash trees.

Tree removals on private property are the responsibility of the property owner.

*The Emerald Ash Borer is a small, metallic green, non-native invasive pest whose larvae feast on the inner bark of Ash trees, ultimately disrupting their ability to transport nutrients and causing the tree's eventual decline and death. EAB was first found in Michigan in 2002 and has continued to spread into neighboring states, threatening to eventually spread across the U.S. and Canada. EAB has killed tens of millions of Ash trees since its discovery in 2002 and threatens the entire North American Ash tree population.

For more information on the City’s readiness plan and EAB, please visit www.cityofdubuque.org/EAB or call 563-589-4263.