Fort Wayne adds $900,000 to emerald ash borer budget - Fort Wayne, IN

Fort Wayne adds $900,000 to emerald ash borer budget | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN
Statement issued Thursday by the city:

Mayor Tom Henry and the Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department announced the need for a special appropriation today to address the accelerated rate of tree loss due to the emerald ash borer crisis.

“This is an issue that needs immediate attention,” said Mayor Henry. “A dead, or even a weakened tree, threatens the safety of our citizens.”

Over 1,900 ash trees have already been lost to the Emerald Ash Borer, a small Asian beetle that hit Michigan first, then arrived in Allen County in 2006. Fort Wayne’s current inventory of 12,000 street trees is expected to be eliminated in less than 10 years. It is projected that the City will lose 3,000 ash trees a year for the next three years, with another 2,000 lost in the final 4 years. Approximately 1000 ash trees are being treated each year.