Overview Saint Paul's Forestry section has contingency plans for handling catastrophic
events or outbreaks of insects and diseases that will affect our urban forest.
The Emerald ash borer is a non-native insect of major concern, discovered
in the Saint Anthony neighborhood of Saint Paul in May, 2009. In recent years Michigan and other states have suffered widespread ash deaths numbering in the millions due to this insect. The Forestry section is working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies on efforts to mitigate the effects of this pest.
September 9, 2009: St. Paul Forestry & MDA begin destructive sampling of declining ash trees throughout the city. A total of
seven trees are removed. One tree on Howell St. N is confirmed infested with EAB. An EAB was found on an
MDA purple trap one block away from this location earlier in the summer.
October 7-8, 2009: Destructive sampling continues with a focus on the Newell Park area due to the find on Howell St. Eleven
trees were removed and sampled by St. Paul Forestry and MDA. No trees were found to be infested with
EAB.
October 15, 2009: St. Paul Forestry & MDA removed and sampled ten of the twenty ash trees girdled in the South St.
Anthony neighborhood early this summer. Eight of the ten trees were confirmed infested with EAB. The
remaining ten will be removed in late winter.
October 29, 2009: Destructive sampling of an ash tree in Langford Park revealed a new infestation one half mile away from the
original infested area.
Thru December: Destructive sampling will continue in the North Saint Anthony and Merriam Park neighborhoods. These trees
are selected based on canopy dieback and location.
