The war against the emerald ash borer (EAB) is being waged on multiple fronts, fueled by donations from individuals, families, nonprofit organizations and companies determined to save ash tree populations in selected areas of Indiana state parks and state-owned nature preserves.

Starting on June 14, 119 strategically chosen ash trees will be injected with emamectin benzoate, which kills larvae of the EAB but is deemed safe for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The trees have been selected based on the likelihood of preserving stands of ash trees, as the pest devastates forests and woodlands moving from northern to southern Indiana.

The Indiana Parks Alliance (IPA) is behind the effort, called “Save Our Ash Trees.” IPA has collected more than $28,000 for the project, including major funding from the Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust. Donate online at http://indianaparksalliance.org/save-our-ash-trees

Almost 150 million ash trees in Indiana are in danger. “We can’t save every ash tree, and in some areas, they’re completely gone,” said IPA President Tom Hohman. “What we can do is identify areas where we can treat 15 to 20 trees and give them a good chance of surviving to repopulate after the emerald ash borer has moved on.”

Davey Resource Group is contracted to treat trees specified by IPA and staff from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which manages state parks and nature preserves. Trees to be treated, which started June 14, are in:

•Calvert and Porter Nature Preserve (Montgomery County)

•Harmonie State Park, including Harmonie Hills Nature Preserve and Wabash Border Nature Preserve

•McCormick’s Creek State Park, including Wolf Cave Nature Preserve

•Shades State Park, including Pine Hills Nature Preserve

•Turkey Run State Park

IPA also has funded purchase of equipment and emamectin benzoate for the Division of Nature Preserves to treat approximately 60 additional trees at:

•Coal Hollow Nature Preserve (Parke County)

•Minton Nature Preserve (Floyd County)

•Nine Penny Branch Nature Preserve (Clark County)

•Patoka Lake

•Russel Bend Nature Preserve (Parke County)

“We set an initial goal of $20,000 to treat 100 trees,” said Hohman. “We quickly passed that mark, thanks largely to the Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust. But many people who love our Indiana woodlands are supporting this effort. Together, we’re working to save as many ash trees as we can.

“Davey Resource Group is helping us stretch the donated dollars, and we’re helping the Division of Nature Preserves treat additional trees by donating equipment and supplies for their use.”

The IPA website and Facebook page have more information, including a video about EAB and the treatments funded through IPA’s Save Our Ash Trees program. Visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/indianaparksalliance

The IPA is a charitable organization that supports and advocates for state parks and nature preserves, and the people they serve through education, promotion, fundraising and assistance for local friends groups. For more information, visit www.indianaparksalliance.org

The Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust awards grants to eligible not-for-profit organizations with a record of environmental protection, preservation, stewardship and education and with a primary purpose related to preserving and protecting ecologically significant natural lands. Hare was a medical doctor with a love of nature and conservation. For more details, visit www.haretrust.org

FAQs on EAB

The EAB is an exotic beetle, originally from Asia and first discovered in the United States in Michigan in 2002 and in Indiana in 2004. The invasive insect is 1/3-inch in length and a bright, metallic green in color. The adult lays eggs only in ash trees. EABs in the U.S. have no predators during their larval stage.

How do they kill ash trees?

Larvae feed on the inner bark of the tree, creating tunnels circling the trunk and cutting off the flow of water and nutrients from roots to leaves. Leaves in the top third of the tree die first, and then the damage moves down to lower branches.

Why should we care?

Ash trees make up 10-20 percent of the diversity of tree species in our Hoosier forests, totaling about 147 million trees. Another 2 million grace city parks, residential lawns and street plantings.

Ash wood is used for furniture, flooring, cabinets, hockey and lacrosse sticks, baseball bats, urban street plantings, and Native American traditional baskets, pipe stems, flutes and medicinal remedies.

To maintain a remnant population of ash trees in Indiana, we must save mature, seed-producing specimens to create a future seed source of EAB-resistant ash trees. The trees are native species to our Indiana forests and the introduction of EAB is a manmade disaster, not a natural one.

It is up to us to preserve native species so they may repopulate after the killing wave of EAB has passed.

The chestnut blight of the late 19th century and the Dutch elm disease in the mid-20th century virtually eliminated the two species from our woodlands and streetscapes. We have the opportunity to keep the tragedy from happening again with our native ash.

What’s the treatment?

A special insecticide is injected into holes drilled near ground level and kills EABs as it’s drawn upward. The insecticide used in the program (emamectin benzoate) is safe for pollinators like honeybees, as it’s not a neonicotinoid. IPA's Save our Ash Trees program focuses on areas of the state not already decimated by the EAB.

How bad is the problem?

Millions of mature ash trees have already been killed in Indiana, and the mortality rate is expected to hit 95 percent in the next decade. Projected economic losses to urban forests are estimated to be $10 billion-$20 billion. The U.S. Forest Service projects all 8 billion ash trees in American forests will die off unless protected against the EAB.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by email at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.