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Ash Trees in Galesburg, Illinois 800 to be removed

Started by wesdor, January 27, 2013, 04:27:03 PM

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wesdor

The local news ran a story about how the city of Galesburg has about 800 ash trees that will be taken down in the next 2 or 3 years because they have discovered the EAB.

They claim some significant amount of money will be spent each year to have the trees removed and landfilled.

I'm wondering if any of the trees would be worth saving?   If a person could get the trees free there might be some lumber in a few of them and at least firewood in most of them.  I don't have the equipment to transport trees but have a friend with a boom truck.

My hope would be to save the city some $$ and also make some use of the trees.  If some of the rest of you are in the area, you might want to contact the mayor.

BIG QUESTION:  Does transporting the trees spread the EAB?  I live about 40 miles north of Galesburg and don't want to speed the spread of the bug.

Any thoughts on possibly saving the city a few dollars and also making use of some of the trees?

Ianab

QuoteBIG QUESTION:  Does transporting the trees spread the EAB?  I live about 40 miles north of Galesburg and don't want to speed the spread of the bug.

Yes I believe it does, which is why the bug has spread so quickly and become so difficult to control. One stick of firewood carried 100 miles into uninfected territory can start a whole new hub if infestation. Left to themselves they can only spread a short distance each season and it might be possible to control / quarantine them.

Sawn Ash wood is safe to transport as long as all the bark has been sawn off.

I would think the best option in this case would be to saw them on site, then haul the slab to the landfill. That way the only thing you are transporting is the safe sawn boards.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

wesdor

Did some checking. According to one source, federal law requires every tree to be burned locally. 
Looks like there is nothing possible in this case.

I sure don't want to bring them further north. There are some magnificent ash trees in our area.  The bug may get them eventually, but hopefully not with my assistance

thecfarm

I was wondering about the burning part. I had the state forestry dept come here and asked to put a trap on my land. They said the same thing. About the only way to TRY to protect any other trees on my land,when the EAB hits, is to ring an ash tree that is low grade and hope the EAB will "smell" that tree and attack it. Than cut it down and burn it.Sounds kinda far fetched,but who knows what works and what don't.  :(
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Sparty

I appreciate the efforts to save the ash trees....but there is probably nothing that will stop the EAB.  I know people here in Michigan that spent a lot of time/money trying to save their trees.  Made no difference in the end.  I saved about a dozen prime logs from the city and am very happy with the lumber.  It is great stuff...takes a great polish, carves nicely, great for steam bending, smells like maple syrup when you cut it.

Jay C. White Cloud

If anyone has links to the federal or state laws concerning this, posting it here would be great.  I believe transporting any logs would be out of the question, but Ian is correct.  In Ohio they have harvested logs with EAB and milled it, and kiln dried it, they were not required to burn it, but that was on private property with state supervision.  I can not believe that the state of Illinois with allow that resource to be wasted, dealt with yes, but not wasted.  I have place traps in several location in my capacity as Tree Warden for our Town.  We have discussed with the state and federal government both, the disposition of the wood, if effected.  Fire wood transport was their main concern, not lumber recovery.  Fire wood has bark on, it is moved green, and then sits for one to two seasons, allowing the beetles life cycle to continue.  Milled and processed lumber, (with supervision,) does not.  Our town plans on allowing the "urban forestry," program of recovery to continue even with Ash that are effected.

"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

estiers

Quote from: Jay C. White Cloud on January 28, 2013, 10:05:12 AM
If anyone has links to the federal or state laws concerning this, posting it here would be great. 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/emerald_ash_b/quarantine.shtm

For state quarantine information, go the Department of Agriculture website for the State you are interested in.

Burning obviously is an effective treatment, but not the only one.  There are ways to get logs, lumber, and the like out of a quarantined area.  Contact your State Department of Agriculture for more information.
Erin Stiers
State Plant Health Director - Minnesota
United States Department of Agriculture


Ax- man

I haven't kept up on this EAB issue but I am pretty sure the whole state is now in the quarantee zone .You can move wood as long as that wood stays in the quarantee zone.

I have milled up an Ash tree recently that had borers in it but it was not the EAB. Bores pretty much stay in the sapwood region of the log. Once the outer edges are removed the wood is still useable and marketable and would be a shame to burn or landfill.

Al_Smith

It makes pretty nice lumber if that's what you want to know .

The problem with in town trees which many sawyers on this forum will attest to is tramp metal .

If nothing else it's real good firewood .If you cut a lot of EAB ash and you aren't already good with a file you will get plenty of practice because it's hard as a rock after it's killed by EAB .

Todd

Metal in Ash doesn't leave big stains like it does in oak or walnut, so go slow.
Making somthing idiot-proof only leads to the creation of bigger idiots!

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