It would seem the emerald ash borer is enjoying Johnson County, and the city of Overland Park is taking action to eradicate it in a new way. Later this year, the city will begin an ash tree clear-cutting program in some neighborhoods. Currently, the city estimates between 8,000 and 11,000 ash trees still stand in Overland Park. Until now, the procedure has been to remove trees as they become too damaged to safely stand, which means about 500 per year are taken out. That plan isn’t cutting it anymore, according to city forester Bailey Patterson. “(We’re) just physically incapable of keeping up with the pace that they’re declining,” Patterson said. The normal annual budget for removing these damaged trees has been about $250,000. This new program would increase those funds to $2 million over two years.
Source: KC Star Local News
