For the City Times

This year’s emerald ash borer (EAB) awareness program has taken a very visual approach.   

The City of Stevens Point is partnering with Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Council and UWSP urban forestry students to raise awareness about EAB by tying green ribbons around ash trees in Stevens Point.  The students will begin putting the ribbons up on the ash trees along downtown Stevens Point in the 1100 block of Main Street on Friday, April 1st at 2 PM.

The results of an emerald ash borer infestation. (Contributed Photo)

Ribbons will be placed only on ash trees on publicly owned land.  Ash street trees along Main, Clark, and North Division streets will be targeted.  Ash trees along the Green Circle Trail running through Pfiffner and Bukolt parks will also have ribbons tied around them.  

A total of about 300 highly visible ash trees will have ribbons on them.

Stevens Point has nearly 7,400 publicly- owned trees which line its streets.  Of these trees, 860 of them are some type of true ash (Fraxinus spp.).  True ash represent green, white, and black ash, but do not include mountain ash which is not a true ash.  There are another 330 ash trees in managed areas of Stevens Point’s parks.  All of these ash trees are threatened by the eventual arrival of EAB. Municipalities and property owners alike should be aware of this pest and begin to make plans to prepare for it — EAB has not yet been found in Portage County, but has been found in Adams County.

Emerald ash borer is an insect from Asia that feeds exclusively on ash trees.  It is when they are feeding in the larval stage, just beneath the bark, that they do the damage resulting in the death of the ash tree.

The green ribbon will note that the tree is an ash tree, along with the City of Stevens Point’s website, stevenspoint.com, to get more information regarding the emerald ash borer.  For more information, or to set up a photo opportunity please call 715-346-1532.