Reporting Susie Jones
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An infestation of Emerald Ash Borer looks to dramatically alter the look of Fort Snelling Golf Club.
Crews with the Minneapolis Park and Recreations Board were scheduled to begin removing about 200 ash trees from the golf course on Monday, in response to the discovery of borer-infested trees there.
The removal process should last about a week, according to the board.
Ralph Sievert is with the city’s forestry division. He said the best time to cut them down is in the winter.
“In the winter, the beetle is dormant, and not active. So, if people are going to be working on a tree in your yard that’s an Ash tree, and it’s really only ash, this is a good time. If you do it in the summer, you might accidentally be moving the beetle around and you don’t want to do that either,” Sievert said.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Susie Jones Reports
The trees marked for removal will either be reclaimed or disposed of.
Sievert said they plan to take down ash trees at six other city golf courses, not because there’s infestation, but because they want to be proactive.
Ever since Emerald Ash Borer reached Minneapolis in March 2010, the Park and Recreations Board’s forestry department has been working to “minimize the environmental, economic and aesthetic impact on the city’s urban forest.”
