By Frank Mustac, Contributor
A small green jewel-like beetle called the emerald ash borer is silently and systematically causing havoc and devastation to thousands of ash trees in Hopewell Valley.
Members of Hopewell Township’s Environmental Commission recently briefed township leaders on what can be done to save many of the trees and safely take down those that are beyond salvaging.
“It’s a very serious problem,” Nora Sirbaugh, an environmental commission member, said in late October.
Adult emerald ash borer beetles, which originate from Asia, nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. However, beetle larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, according to the Emerald Ash Borer Information Network.
Discovered in Somerset County in May 2014, the emerald ash borer has infested large swaths of the United States and Canada, killing tens of millions of ash trees since 2002, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Ms. Sirbaugh characterized the tree loss due to the insect as the “greatest tragedy to our forests since Dutch Elm disease.”
A strain of fungus spread by elm bark beetles, Dutch Elm disease arose in North America in the early 20th century, destroying the majority of American elm trees in many areas.
A great number of ash trees threatened by the emerald ash borer, Ms. Sirbaugh said, that can be spared through treatment.
“There are steps we can take to make a difference,” she said, explaining that about 1,200 ash trees have been treated in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.
Throughout the area, other municipalities and organizations have begun working to alleviate the emerald ash borer problem.
At Princeton University, for example, workers are treating large ash trees, according to Ms. Sirbaugh. Committing to treating ash trees for the next 20 years is considered cheaper than getting rid of the trees all together, she said.
“I would urge that Hopewell Township look at the problem and look at its impact on the community,” she said. “Obviously, it will have a fiscal impact that needs to be addressed. … I think that in addition to the removal of dead and dying trees, we need to decide which ones we love enough to maintain and take care of.”
The though of cutting down affected trees “would break my heart,” she said.
A map of ash tree locations in Hopewell Valley and information on identifying and treating ash trees, she said, is available at haveyoursayhopewelltwp.org.
A public service video filmed in Mercer County about the emerald ash borer problem, featuring a large ash tree more than 350 years old, is also available for viewing at the same website.
Ray Nichols, an environmental commission member for more than a decade, described the beetle infestation as one of the most significant issues the commission has dealt with in the last decade.
“Its affects everyone in Hopewell Township, one way or another,” Mr. Nichols said.
Many of the ash trees, because of their locations within the bounds of right-of- ways along roads in the municipality, are probably the township’s responsibility, he said.
Ash trees weakened by the insect can possibly fall during a storm, creating a hazard for travelers, Mr. Nichols said.
Hopewell Township Mayor Kevin Kuchinski also expressed concern over the emerald ash borer problem.
“We are certainly going to look at what we can do next from a capital budget standpoint to remove ash trees from the right-of-ways,” the mayor said.
