by Tim Hennagir
Life Editor

The Blaine City Council is scheduled to review a proposed work plan at its Nov. 19 workshop that will address the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation threat in the community.

The insect larvae drill into the trees, interrupting the flow of nutrients and water, eventually killing the tree.

The EAB was first discovered in the U.S. in Michigan and has been moving westward. Earlier this year, the EAB was discovered in St. Paul, the insect’s first such recorded siting in the state.

Robert Therres, public services manager, briefly described Blaine’s plans for dealing with the tree-destroying pest in a background memo to council.

Therres reported that City Forester Marc Shippee estimates there are approximately 80,000 ash trees in Blaine. It is estimated about 15,000 of the trees are on public right of way or located in city parks.

In his Nov. 19 memo, Therres stated that Shippee has a draft plan for dealing with the EAB threat to the city.

According to Therres, currently, there is grant funding up to $100,000 from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for EAB.

However, program participation requires a 15 percent match from local units of government. The match can be done with “in-kind” services, Therres said.

The Emerald Ash Borer is going to have a devastating impact on the landscape of Blaine, he said.

It’s anticipated the pest will also have a large economic impact on the city, especially when infected trees need to be removed from city property.

Shippee has suggested a multi-year program to start dealing with the impacts and spreading out costs prior to the EAB actually infesting trees in Blaine.

The plan calls for preventive removal of ash trees on public property, starting a replacement tree program and planting and cutting over several years.

According to Therres, the proposed program that’s scheduled for review Thursday night would require amendments to current ordinances and treat the EAB threat similar to Dutch Elm and Oak Wilt.

Look for a full recap of the Emerald Ash Borer workshop discussion in next week’s print edition of the Life or visit www.abcnewspapers.com for updates.

Tim Hennagir is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .