Mayor's Community Update - 06/29/19

Greetings!  Late last week, a forest health specialist from the WI DNR confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer in Waupun, indicating that dead and nearly dead large ash are common in the city and surrounding townships.  In 2017, DPW Board members approved a plan to address the emerald ash borer that included the removal of all ash trees that grow on public property.  The plan that group approved first examined the cost of treating the nearly 150 ash trees located on city property. Since regular treatment is required, that team determined treatment to be cost prohibitive and instead decided to remove and replace.  In 2018, the city began ash tree removal.  To date, DPW crews have removed approximately 50% of the ash trees on city property and work continues to complete removal and replacement.  The emerald ash borer is an exotic, invasive, wood-boring insect that infests and kills native North American ash trees, both in forests and landscape plantings and is capable of eliminating all ash trees from our forests and cities.  So, what should you do if you have an ash tree on your property?    According to the WI DNR, the only way to keep an ash tree alive long-term is to regularly treat that tree with insecticides.   DNR specialists report signs of infestation to include, “distinctive canopy thinning, branch decline and death, limb sprouting from the lower trunk, bark splitting above larval galleries and D-shaped exit holes created by emerging adults.”  Early signs and symptoms of infestation may appear minor, but the structural integrity, or strength, of ash branches and tree trunks begins to decline as soon as a tree becomes infested. Trees that are heavily infested are unlikely to be saved.  City of Waupun ordinance 9.03 governs tree or plant diseases within the city.  The ordinance requires property owners to treat or remove diseased trees.  According to the WI DNR, property owners should not delay in making decisions about ash trees on their property, indicating that treatment costs will be greater and safety hazards will worsen if treatment is delayed.  If you have not already, we urge you to take action on any ash trees located on your property.  You can find more information online at www.emeraldashborer.info.

Around town, Waupun Fine Arts will sponsor Concerts in the Park each Thursday evening in July.  Concerts will be held at West End Park in Waupun from 5:30 to 8:30 (Note that the Waupun Community Center is designated as the rain venue).  The Del Rays kick off the summer series on July 4.  Food and beverage is offered each week starting at 5:30 p.m., with music starting at 6:30 p.m.   Admission is free.  Visit www.waupunfinearts.org for more information.  I hope to see you around town!