I’ve always felt a sense of pride when traveling through Arlington Heights' beautiful tree-lined streets. I would feel a terrible sense of loss if many of those streets were transformed into a sterile, treeless landscape by the scourge of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle.

 

Of the 13,000 ash trees on public property in Arlington Heights, one-third of them line the parkways in front of residents’ homes. If you have a tree in front of your house that has a ribbon tied around it, it’s an ash tree and is susceptible to EAB. The village recently instituted a cost-sharing program for residents who wish to treat their parkway tree against the spread of the EAB. Residents will be reimbursed 50% of the treatment costs up to $50 per parkway tree. Generally, the cost for the pesticide injection is about $8 per inch of tree diameter. Read the details on the Village website or call the Village Forestry department at 847-368-5848.

 

Several neighborhoods have banded together to obtain a lower group rate for treating their trees. The Northgate Civic Association is one of those neighborhoods that have been particularly successful. Check out their website to learn more. Let’s keep the green pride of our village streets alive.