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Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper July 2016 Page 11
Replacing Dead Community Park Trees Will Cost A
Lot of Green
James Rada, Jr.
A forester from the Maryland This has caused some discussion would be cost prohibitive. Removing
Department of the Environment among the commissioners with how a single tree costs around $800.
Forestry Division toured Thurmont’s to deal with the problem. They have Removing 276 trees would cost
Community Park a few months ago, come to the realization that the ash around $221,000, and this doesn’t
studying each tree. The emerald ash trees can’t be saved, which means even include the cost of replacement
borer had been found on private that the Community Park will lose trees.
property in Thurmont, and he about forty percent of its trees. Since the town has a couple of
wanted to see if the beetle had made “My personal feeling is if they are years before all of the ash trees are
it to other properties. going to die anyway, I would rather expected to be dead, the mayor
The emerald ash replant other trees,” said Kinnaird. and commissioners will allocate
borer (shown right) While that seems to be the money each year for the purpose of
is a beetle that was consensus of opinion, the problem removing dead trees and replanting
first found in the is what trees to replant, how large new ones.
United States in should those trees be, and how to “My hope is that some of the trees
Michigan in 2002. pay for all of it. will last four to five years,” Kinnaird
It was first discovered in Maryland Oaks, maples, and holly trees said. “It will be a slow removal
in 2006. Despite quarantines to keep can certainly be planted to replace process, but it will help keep it from
potentially infected firewood from the dead ash trees, but some of being cost prohibitive.”
crossing state lines, the emerald ash those trees are slow-growing, which The town’s other parks should
borer has now been found in twenty- could mean that it might be decades not have to deal with this problem.
seven states. for those trees to reach their full Memorial Park has oak and maple
The emerald ash borer is an Asian growth. Larger trees can certainly be trees. Eyler Park has maple and holly
beetle that probably arrived in this purchased, but the larger the tree is, trees. The other properties don’t have
country in wooden packing materials the more it costs. trees or have enough trees to be an
originating in foreign countries. The “There is going to be a generation issue.
adult beetles feed on ash tree leaves. of park users that won’t have a
This causes little serious damage to Community Park as the nice, shady
the trees. The problem is that the park that we’re used to seeing,” Pratronize your local
larvae feed on the inner bark of ash expressed Kinnaird. businesses.
trees. This disrupts the tree’s ability The problem is the sheer number
to transport water and nutrients, of trees that will need to be replaced.
which eventually kills the trees. Even minimal costs become expensive
The forester’s evaluation was that when multiplied by 276.
all but a few of the 276 ash trees in The first thing that the town is
the park had been infected with the doing is using the money allocated
emerald ash borer. for treatment to replace trees. Town
The Thurmont Mayor and staff has also applied for the $1,500
Commissioners had already allocated grant to help with costs.
$35,000 to treat the trees when they Town staff will start by removing
got the news. They asked if having the the trees that pose the most danger to
trees protected would save them. They park visitors, because they could fall
were told that the trees were already over or drop a limb. Additional trees
dying and would be completely dead will be removed in the late fall after
within two years. If treated, that Colorfest and early spring. At that
lifespan might be extended a year. time, the new trees will be planted.
“We could pay $340 a tree to The ash trees won’t all be removed
treat the trees, but once the tree is at once since that would leave large
infected, it’s dead,” said Mayor John gaps in the shade cover, and the
Kinnaird. cost to remove all of them at once
Replacing Dead Community Park Trees Will Cost A
Lot of Green
James Rada, Jr.
A forester from the Maryland This has caused some discussion would be cost prohibitive. Removing
Department of the Environment among the commissioners with how a single tree costs around $800.
Forestry Division toured Thurmont’s to deal with the problem. They have Removing 276 trees would cost
Community Park a few months ago, come to the realization that the ash around $221,000, and this doesn’t
studying each tree. The emerald ash trees can’t be saved, which means even include the cost of replacement
borer had been found on private that the Community Park will lose trees.
property in Thurmont, and he about forty percent of its trees. Since the town has a couple of
wanted to see if the beetle had made “My personal feeling is if they are years before all of the ash trees are
it to other properties. going to die anyway, I would rather expected to be dead, the mayor
The emerald ash replant other trees,” said Kinnaird. and commissioners will allocate
borer (shown right) While that seems to be the money each year for the purpose of
is a beetle that was consensus of opinion, the problem removing dead trees and replanting
first found in the is what trees to replant, how large new ones.
United States in should those trees be, and how to “My hope is that some of the trees
Michigan in 2002. pay for all of it. will last four to five years,” Kinnaird
It was first discovered in Maryland Oaks, maples, and holly trees said. “It will be a slow removal
in 2006. Despite quarantines to keep can certainly be planted to replace process, but it will help keep it from
potentially infected firewood from the dead ash trees, but some of being cost prohibitive.”
crossing state lines, the emerald ash those trees are slow-growing, which The town’s other parks should
borer has now been found in twenty- could mean that it might be decades not have to deal with this problem.
seven states. for those trees to reach their full Memorial Park has oak and maple
The emerald ash borer is an Asian growth. Larger trees can certainly be trees. Eyler Park has maple and holly
beetle that probably arrived in this purchased, but the larger the tree is, trees. The other properties don’t have
country in wooden packing materials the more it costs. trees or have enough trees to be an
originating in foreign countries. The “There is going to be a generation issue.
adult beetles feed on ash tree leaves. of park users that won’t have a
This causes little serious damage to Community Park as the nice, shady
the trees. The problem is that the park that we’re used to seeing,” Pratronize your local
larvae feed on the inner bark of ash expressed Kinnaird. businesses.
trees. This disrupts the tree’s ability The problem is the sheer number
to transport water and nutrients, of trees that will need to be replaced.
which eventually kills the trees. Even minimal costs become expensive
The forester’s evaluation was that when multiplied by 276.
all but a few of the 276 ash trees in The first thing that the town is
the park had been infected with the doing is using the money allocated
emerald ash borer. for treatment to replace trees. Town
The Thurmont Mayor and staff has also applied for the $1,500
Commissioners had already allocated grant to help with costs.
$35,000 to treat the trees when they Town staff will start by removing
got the news. They asked if having the the trees that pose the most danger to
trees protected would save them. They park visitors, because they could fall
were told that the trees were already over or drop a limb. Additional trees
dying and would be completely dead will be removed in the late fall after
within two years. If treated, that Colorfest and early spring. At that
lifespan might be extended a year. time, the new trees will be planted.
“We could pay $340 a tree to The ash trees won’t all be removed
treat the trees, but once the tree is at once since that would leave large
infected, it’s dead,” said Mayor John gaps in the shade cover, and the
Kinnaird. cost to remove all of them at once
