Protect the Ash Trees

WEST ORANGE, Nj — In West Orange, thousands of trees are dying because the emerald ash borer (EAB), an Asian beetle, is giving the ash trees they feed on ash yellow disease. The beetle has been in the US for over a decade, but it is starting to turn into a big problem. There have already been outbreaks of the beetle in West Orange’s Eagle Rock Reservation and neighboring town Montclair. In order to fight the spread of the beetle Mercer and Somerset counties recently released 10,000 eggs and larvae that will grow to become predators to the EAB 

Ash yellow disease is hard to fight because there is no cure and it is transferred from tree-to-tree by leafhoppers. While there is no cure, there is a way to prevent this disease from infecting through injections. Trees can be injected with Merit, inoculating them, but it costs $200 per tree. Though, the price of injection is cheaper than removing a dead tree. West Orange Township has introduced an Ash Tree Removal Program to remove any infected trees or trees that have already died from ash yellow disease. Nearby, Chatham and Linson Township have spent $20,000 attempting to inoculate all ash trees.

The West Orange Environmental Commision (WOEC) met on Sep. 27 to discuss this matter. They intend to raise public awareness and prevent both harmful agents from spread. John Linston, a town forester who attended the meeting, has recommended that people inoculate their trees as soon as possible.

To learn more information, go to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s website, http://www.emeraldashborer.nj.gov