Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Signs a reminder to protect trees from invasive beetle
The city's forestry department has posted signs along Gillette and Main streets in La Crosse this week as part of Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week.
The signs are a reminder not to move firewood to stop the spread of the invasive insect.
"A common practice is to bring firewood along when one goes camping," said City Forester Pat Bonadurer. "All Wisconsin state parks and most private campgrounds ban any firewood brought from more than 50 miles. Most of the state parks have worked with area wood lot owners and have firewood for sale by the entrances to the park at a reasonable cost."
Ash trees make up 25 percent of street-side trees planted in La Crosse, according to the department. About 4,700 of the city's 20,000 street-side trees are susceptible to emerald ash borer.
If infected, city foresters estimated it would cost $750,000 to remove the trees and more than $1 million to replace.
Bonadurer noted that while present around Chicago, there aren't any confirmed cases of emerald ash borer in Wisconsin.
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