Denver foresters confirm emerald ash borer arrival; urban forest strategic plan guides response

Denver city foresters told the Parks, Arts and Culture Committee that the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed in multiple neighborhoods and described how the city’s new Urban Forest Strategic Plan will guide responses and longer-term work to grow and protect canopy.

Luke Killoren, Denver City Forester, said inspectors confirmed EAB on a private-property tree in Congress Park; since that discovery the pest has been identified in Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Westwood and Congress Park. Killoren said "if you have an ash tree and you don't treat it, you should expect to lose it," and that the city expects continued spread.

The presentation included baseline urban-forest statistics: about 2,200,000 trees across Denver when public and private trees are included, roughly 300,000 of which the city manages; a 15% canopy cover based on a 2020 assessment; and more than 400 tree species recorded in the city inventory. Foresters…