COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Colorado Springs is taking proactive steps to protect its urban forest as the destructive emerald ash borer continues its spread across the Front Range, with new confirmed sightings in Denver, Aurora and Golden.
The city's forestry department says one in every five public trees in Colorado Springs is an ash tree, not including those on private property. This significant population has city officials preparing for what they consider an inevitable arrival of the invasive pest.
"Every year, this might be the year," said Matthew Puckett, Colorado Springs city forester.
Starting next year, the city will remove ash trees from its approved street tree list as a preventive measure.
"We've removed the ash tree from our approved street tree list," said Puckett.
The emerald ash borer is a small, green, metallic insect that unintentionally arrived in North America in the 1990s. The pest feeds on nutrients found in ash trees and can kill them quickly. The insect first appeared on the Front Range in 2013 in Boulder County.
A new report from the Colorado State Forest Service confirms emerald ash borer sightings in Denver-area cities for the first time, indicating the destructive bug is expanding its range.
"We have been preparing for it proactively for the past 10 years," said Puckett.
One of the primary ways the pest could arrive in Colorado Springs is through transported firewood. Urban Firewood owner Joe Yost says a large portion of his inventory comes from native tree species, noting that ash trees are not native to the Front Range.
"In Colorado, you don't have a lot of ash trees paired together in a forest, so it would be hard for the bugs to go from tree to tree to tree," said Yost.
Tree experts say the main way emerald ash borer-infested ash wood could reach Colorado Springs is if someone transported it from an affected area. Yost emphasizes the importance of knowing the source of firewood purchases.
At his business, log piles are quarantined from past mountain pine beetle infestations, and any out-of-state wood, including ash wood, receives heat treatment.
The city forester recommends property owners with ash trees focus on keeping them healthy through proper watering and mulching, which helps trees better resist pests.
___
Runner Hears Desperate Cries - Discovers Deer in Halloween Decoration Nightmare
A morning jog turned into a wildlife rescue when Brandy discovered a deer trapped by a trick-or-treat bucket. Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds residents that innocent decorations can become deadly traps, but this story shows how communities can come together to help.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
