Emerald Ash Borer Tree Grant Awarded to Historic Southwood Park

The City of Fort Wayne received a grant through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to help assist three communities with the mitigation of ash trees infected with emerald ash borer (EAB). Historic Southwood Park, Woodhurst, and Foster Park neighborhoods are the three communities included in the grant. The grant will help fund the removal and replanting of many of the ash trees that are in serious decline throughout the neighborhood.In the coming weeks many residents of Southwood Park will be receiving notices on their door that a public tree located within the city easement and adjacent to their property will be removed in the coming weeks. The door hanger will denote that a trees is to be removed, stump grinded, and if applicable, replanted. The tree (s) that will be removed is denoted by a white dot at the base of the tree. Trees marked for removal are significantly infested with EAB, are in poor to critical condition, and were not part of Historic Southwood Park's 2011 ash tree treatments. The trees that will be removed could pose serious risks to residents, and could cause property damage if left unattended.With the grant, the City will be able to replace the majority of the ash trees removed in Southwood Park in 2011. One of the goals of the City is to diversify the urban forest with a large variety of trees. Species diversity will help prevent the possibility of another tree pest from decimating a local tree population like what is currently happening with EAB, and what has occurred with Dutch elm disease in the past. Replacement trees will not be planted until later this fall.--- Kasey Krouse