Can some ash trees be saved? May 27 meeting to shed light

Putnam County residents are living in a community recognized as a Tree City for 15 consecutive years.

Now, however, beautiful ash trees in the area are under threat from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a devastating bug.

To help understand what is happening to the ash trees and what might be done to save them, a public meeting featuring an Indiana Department of Natural Resources urban forester is slated for Tuesday, May 27 at the Putnam County Public Library (PCPL).

Several citizens concerned about the EAB threat have invited Carrie Tauscher to meet with Greencastle residents at 6:30 p.m. in the Kiwanis Room at PCPL.

She will be talking about management and management options and will discuss how other communities are dealing with this threat. She is also expected to share case studies from across Indiana, Michigan and the Chicago-land area.

Without preventative treatment virtually all of the ash trees will die. Those that are currently healthy can be treated with a 90 percent or better chance of survival, and treating a tree costs about a tenth of the cost of removing a dead or diseased tree.

Tauscher does not recommend the treatment/saving of all ash trees. That is not feasible considering all the ash in the area. She will, however, address management of EAB and ash trees in relation to the community's entire tree canopy.

Residents are urged to check out the site Neighbors against Bad Bugs (NABB) on the Internet, a program that can sharing information and getting to the Purdue website about EAB, before coming to the meeting.

Those who have questions prior to the May 27 meeting may call 653-9092.