Emerald Ash Borer - Paranoia or Pragmatism?
David Miller from Iowa
>This bugger was supposed to be quarantined in the Detroit area, but it has broken out at least to Chicago (see link or google emerald ash borer).
I have three wooded acres on a nice river about 300 miles from Chicago. I've become very concerned since about 90% of my mature trees are white ash (the remaining ones are American elm which the fungus will get at some point).
Been debating with folks about this and I have taken the position that the emerald ash borer will ultimately decimate all of America's ash trees - may take decades, but I'm thinking it is inevitable. I'm considering the launch of an agressive biodiversity program of planting varied varieties of fast growing trees and systematically taking out the ashes with the goal of getting my ash population below 30% within 10-15 years.
SWMBO says I'm paranoid and doesn't like the idea of thinning the grove for this purpose. She says that even if they get here, we can medicate, but it looks like one has to do it every year in perpetuity.
Your thoughts?
David
