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Oregon Department of Forestry warns Talent to prepare for Emerald Ash Borer; city has 89 street ash trees
Summary
An Oregon Department of Forestry presenter told Talent city councilors that Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has reached Oregon and advised the city to use its existing tree inventory, stop planting ash, and plan options — removal, treatment or do nothing — to limit canopy loss and costs.
The Oregon Department of Forestry told the City of Talent on Feb. 5 that Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive beetle first detected in Oregon in 2022, threatens the city’s ash trees and that local officials should use their existing inventory and prepare response plans.
Kat Bethea, an urban and community forester with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said the insect "is an invasive and highly destructive wood boring beetle that infests and kills ash trees" and described how larvae feed under bark, cutting off nutrient flow and typically killing trees within three to six years after infestation.
The presentation outlined why municipalities should prepare now. Talent already maintains a street-tree inventory in the TreePlotter system that lists 89 ash trees, Bethea said, and that inventory is a key first step for planning which trees to remove, treat or leave in place. She said municipalities typically choose among three strategies for each ash tree: remove and replace,…
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