EAB Management Strategies

Emerald Ash Borer Management

Management Strategies

Saint Paul Forestry has utilized several management strategies to reduce the population growth of the emerald ash borer (EAB). Strategies such as monitoring and insecticide treatment worked to slow the population growth of EAB in Saint Paul, however the city is now considered totally infested. Structured removal of infested trees has allowed for a more diverse pallet of new trees to be planted. This multifaceted approach to managing EAB has spread out the cost of management over a longer, more manageable period of time and allowed for a more efficient response. The following is a list of strategies along with descriptions for reducing the population of EAB. 

Monitoring

• Forestry staff perform annual surveys of city boulevard trees to identify declining ash trees. If a resident believes their boulevard ash tree to be in severe decline due to EAB, an inspection by city staff may be performed upon request.
• Forestry staff no longer survey private properties for EAB infested trees due to a lack of personnel to complete the survey. However, private property ash trees that die from EAB and become dangerous may still require removal under city ordinance. Please contact a licensed tree care company if you would like to be proactive in managing ash tree(s) on your private property.

Removal

• Public ash trees that are dead, nearly dead, or show signs of severe decline due to EAB infestation are a priority for removal.
• Structured Removal: the removal of blocks of EAB infested ash trees. Once removed, these trees are replaced with a more diverse range of species.

Insecticide Treatment

• Treatment of public trees was employed as a means of slowing the population growth of EAB.
• Insecticide treatments have been used on select public property ash trees since 2011.
• All boulevard ash trees have received their final treatment by the City and are on schedule for removal in 2023 or 2024.
• Select park and specimen ash trees throughout the City will continue to be treated until further notice.

All addresses that have an adjacent ash tree were mailed the following letter and postcard . A copy of the letter and can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Saint Paul Forestry - Letter to Residents with City Treated Ash Trees

Saint Paul Forestry - Postcard Follow-Up

Information contained in the letter and postcard only applies to ash trees previously treated by the City and will not impact any public right-of-way ash tree being treated on a regular interval by the adjacent property owner via the established permitting process.

*2023 UPDATE: Please note that the City is no longer accepting permit applications for property owners to treat boulevard ash trees which are on schedule for removal in 2023. The City will continue to review permit applications to treat any public ash trees on schedule for removal in 2024 - those trees will be inspected and permits reviewed after the trees are fully leafed out in late spring 2023. Refer to the interactive web map to see when your ash tree is scheduled for removal.