Politics & Government
Emerald Ash Borer Could Wipe Out a Quarter of State's Forestry
Greenfield forester Dennis Fermenich will discuss the deadly pest at a free seminar Saturday.
The Emerald Ash Borer, a despicable menace to forestry throughout the Midwest, will be the topic of discussion during a seminar Saturday at the .
The seminar, to be held from 10 a.m. to noon, is free and open to the anyone. The two-hour event will be led by Dennis Fermenich, consulting arborist and Greenfield's forester, who will explain how to identify and deal with the Emerald Ash Borer.
"As its population rises, it will attack perfectly healthy trees," Fermenich said. "It overwhelms them."
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Ash Borer is a wood-born beetle discovered in Michigan in 2002. Experts believe the Ash Borer has killed an estimated 30 million trees in southern Michigan alone. The Ash Borer can be in an area for 10 to 12 years before it is discovered.
The Emerald Ash Borer has been found 26 blocks from the Greenfield borders in Franklin. Fermenich said that it is likely that Greenfield has the Emerald Ash Borer.
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"This will not be like Dutch Elm Disease where it leaves some trees behind," he said. "They will all die."
Ash trees make up about 23 percent of the forestry in Wisconsin. The Emerald Ash Borer has the potential to kill all of them.
"That would have a tremendous impact on everything from flood waters to heating our buildings. There is almost not an economic point that will not be effected by this kind of a forest lost," Fermenich said.
According to Fermenich, a well-placed tree in the front of a single-family home can increase its value by as much as 10 percent. A neighborhood with tree-lined streets will have property values about 12 percent more compared to a similar neighborhood without trees, he said.
"When they do go on sale they will sell 15 to 20 percent more quickly," Fermenich said.
Trees can slow motor-vehicle traffic, according to Ferminich. Traffic moves about 5 mph slower on a tree-lined street compared to traffic on a street without trees.
"Five miles an hour can be make a big difference," Fermenich said. "You can actually reduce crime by having trees in the neighborhood."
The seminar will be held in the Community Room of the library, 5310 W. Layton Ave.
