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Emerald Ash Borer Policy Passed Homewood-Flossmoor Park District PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nicole Castagna/Bob Birgel Public Relations Department 708-957-0300 Proactive Emerald Ash Borer policy approved by H-F Park District Board of Commissioners (Flossmoor, Ill.) Feb. 22, 2007 —- The Board of Commissioners of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District approved the Ash Tree/Emerald Ash Borer Policy on Tuesday, Feb. 20, during its monthly board meeting at the Goldberg Administrative Center, 3301 Flossmoor Road, Flossmoor. The policy was submitted by Dave Ward, superintendent of Coyote Run Golf Course, and Keith Gorczyca, superintendent of Parks & Planning, as a proactive way to protect ash trees in Homewood-Flossmoor Park District parks. It is estimated that 25%-30% of trees in the district are ash varieties. It is expected that eventually thousands of ash trees in the H-F community will be killed by this insect. The policy — which is believed to be one of the first of its kind adopted by an Illinois park district — includes steps for completing a risk assessment: training staff, tracking the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer throughout the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana region; and regularly scouting trees for infestation. It also includes an action plan, which involves developing a preferred tree list for future plantings, and removing small, unimportant ashes, volunteer ashes and any ash trees in the area of park district construction projects. The action plan also advises the district how to respond when the Emerald Ash Borer is found in ash trees in the Homewood-Flossmoor area. The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive, flying beetle from Asia that has been responsible for the deaths of more than 22 million trees in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio since 2002. Last year, the beetle was found infecting trees in Evanston, Wilmette and parts of Kane County. Imported firewood from infected trees is one of the main ways the borer is spreading so fast. According to Sue Bertram, vice president of the Board of Commissioners, the likelihood of the borer settling in South Suburban ash trees is just a matter of time, and the loss resulting from its arrival will be devastating. There are many ash trees in the H-F community. For years it was the tree that school children were given on Arbor Day to bring home and plant. "I am so pleased to see the park district being proactive in this problem that will face us in the near future,” Bertram said. “I became aware of the Emerald Ash Borer issue several years ago and encouraged the creation of this policy. It is crucial that we have healthy trees in our parks for generations to come; this policy will help ensure it.” The H-F Park District policy was reviewed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service prior to being presented to the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday. The commissioners — President Peter Camin, Vice President Sue Bertram, Melissa Barrett, Bob Haderlein and Pat Nevins — unanimously approved the policy. “We hope to be an example for other park districts and municipalities in Illinois, and are offering it to the Villages of Homewood and Flossmoor” said Bertram. The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District is a 2006 National Gold Medal Award Winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. For more information or details on the policy, call 708-957-0300. -end- |
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