As Riverside holds its breath, waiting for the arrival of the emerald ash borer, the U.S. Congress last week designated over $34 million for a nationwide effort to "combat and prevent the spread" of the pest, which has been responsible for the loss of millions of ash trees in the eastern U.S., the Midwest and parts of Canada.
Details on how that money will be disbursed are sketchy, but the program will be administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Christina Mulka, spokeswoman for Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Congress announced the funding on March 11.
In addition to funding for emerald ash borer control, Congress also approved millions for improvements to Chicago's transit system and $8 million for flood control measures for the Des Plaines River.
"There are very few details at this point in terms of how the money will actually be allocated," said Riverside Forester Michael Collins. "What typically happens is that money is allocated to the state first, and then we'll start seeing policies formed and the money distributed.
"But it's nice to see money being funneled into environmental issues again."
The emerald ash borer has not been discovered in Riverside, but the insect has been identified in several Chicago suburbs, including Oak Park and River Forest. With over 1,000 ash trees in its public inventory, Riverside is susceptible to attracting emerald ash borers and officials feel it's simply a matter of time before it arrives.
Last fall, Collins estimated that an infestation of the insect could cost the village more than $1 million over a period of years to cut down and replant trees affected by the pest.
Since that time, Collins has been seeking out ways to identify the emerald ash borer in Riverside and possible sources of funding to combat the problem.
He has worked with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to enable Riverside to receive four purple traps (the emerald ash borer is apparently attracted to the color purple) that will be baited to attract the insect. Collins said he expected to have the traps by May.
"If we have it, we'll detect it early in these traps," Collins said. "My point in getting the traps is to detect it the moment it gets in the village so we can slow it and control costs."
On a local level, Riverside has also amended its tree ordinance, requiring any ash trees on private property infested with emerald ash borer to be removed within 30 days. The village has a similar law on the books with respect to Dutch elm disease, which is backed by state statute, according to Collins.
If a property owner doesn't remove the tree after 30 days, the village can file a lien against the property and initiate a lawsuit to have the tree removed. But Collins said that homeowners rarely fight the removal of a diseased tree on private property.
"I've never had a homeowner go down that route," Collins said.
Collins said he wouldn't recommend cutting down healthy ash trees as a preventive measure to control the emerald ash borer.
"We've been removing trees in decline or if they're hazardous, but it'd be a PR nightmare to start cutting down healthy trees," Collins said. "And the longer we wait, there's more chance for funding or for science to find ways to combat it."
