Fall Showing

For much the year, ash trees enjoy a somewhat nondescript existence. They seem to just be 'there.' They don't have the majesty of a mature oak stretching out across the prairie. They don't have an eye catching bark pattern. The leaves are smallish and plainish. But they make fantastic parkway trees. They can handle the heat, the rain, the pollution, the bumpers of newly minted drivers. They are a workhorse.

The work that these trees do for us is largely unnoticed. Until recently, in fact, our descriptions of the work that trees do was nebulous. We could tell you that the shade is nice, that the roots absorb storm water, that mature trees help people to feel better. Now, I can tell you that one 24 inch diameter green ash tree provides an overall benefit of $243 per year thanks to the National Tree Benefit Calculator http://www.treebenefits.com/calculator/index.cfm And come fall look out! Bright yellow leaves on some, a mix of yellow turning to orange turning to purple on others. All on the same tree!

I'm not exactly making waves here. Who could argue the benefits of healthy trees? But that's exactly what has happened over last few years. Since knowledge of the Emerald Ash Borer has gone mainstream a concerted effort has arisen in some municiplaties that seeks to wipe the slate clean - cut 'em down. Or pretend nothing is going on and 'see what happens.' Budgets are thin. Resources are tight. Political capital is spent elsewhere. And alternatives are not readily available. A city forester doesn't necessarily believe that a commercial Arborist will have the integrity to make reasonable recommendations.

Yet we have the framework to form a partnership in the best interests of The Commons. At all levels of interaction, the business community and government have the ability to form exceptional partnerships. Partnerships so exceptional that nowhere else in the world do business interests and governing agencies interact with such vigor. Of course transparency is necessary. Oversight is crucial and common sense must prevail. Just because we can do something, doesn't mean that we should. Not every ash tree should be saved. But as the city of Milwaukee has concluded, it makes sense to save a certain percentage of ash trees. The costs of removal and replacement outweigh the costs of treatment. This information came about not from ecological dogma or the religion of the free market but from research similar to The National Tree Benefits Calculator.

So check your yard and your parkway. See if you have an ash tree nearby and call an Arborist. Call your city. Call your representatives. And say a word of Thanks to Mother Nature for the show.

Andy Lutz is an Arborist for The Davey Tree Expert Company