BRAINERD – Crews from Carr’s Tree Service began injecting infected ash trees in Kiwanis Park on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The city’s ash trees are infected with the Asian ash beetle, an insect larva that kills ash trees by burrowing beneath the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that carries nutrients up and down the trunk. The beetle attacks all native ash species, typically killing them within about four years. The city was notified of the infestation in southeast Brainerd in February, and city officials later predicted that all of the city’s ash trees would die within seven to 10 years if left untreated.
Trees can be treated by a licensed arborist with a pesticide injection into the trunk.
Council members agreed to treat high shade value trees in Kiwanis and Bane parks while creating a replacement plan for other ash trees in the city. The ash trees in forested areas will be left alone unless they are near a bike path or building and could cause damage if they fall over.
The council approved an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for a grant of about $45,000 to remove and replace 14 diseased boulevard ash trees during its meeting on Monday, August 19. The money would also fund the replacement of the trees, with about 1.5 new trees planted for each tree removed.
Under the terms of the grant, new plantings must use species that are not already represented in more than 10% of the city’s trees, such as spruce or maple, and the city must submit a three-year maintenance plan with documentation. Funds must be spent by June 30, 2025.
“We’re going to lose a lot of trees,” said Mike O’Day, chairman of the council’s Safety and Public Works Committee. “This is a good grant that we can use every year if possible.”
The city plans to remove and replace about 10% of the Boulevard Ash trees each year, starting with poor or mediocre quality ash trees and those known to be near infested areas.
Seve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
THERESA BOURKE can be reached at
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Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and education in the region, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College.
