Hudson Officials to Address Invasive Emerald Ash Borer Challenges

The city of Hudson Urban Forestry Board will be hosting an informational meeting this week on the Emerald Ash Borer and its potential impact on the community's ash trees.

An estimated 834 million ash trees are in Wisconsin's forestland as part of northern hardwood, oak-hickory and bottom land hardwood forests, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

"Ash trees provide many ecological benefits: their seeds provide food for birds and small mammals, black ash twigs and leaves provide food for deer and moose and trunk cavities provide nesting areas for birds such as the wood duck," the site says. "... Ash species make up 6.8 percent of Wisconsin's forests (counting all live trees one-inch in diameter or larger)."

All of Wisconsin's native ash species can fall victim to emerald ash borers, but its patterns and long lapses in forested settings have made the pest difficult to track.

"... It is difficult to estimate the potential ecological and economic impacts of this pest on our forestlands, not only in Wisconsin but throughout the entire North American range of ash," Wisconsin DNR said.

The local Hudson forum will address what residents need to know about the invasive pests. It's set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 in the auditorium at Willow River Elementary School, 1118 Fourth St.

Photo: An emerald ash borer beetle. — U.S. Department of Agriculture, used with permission via Creative Commons license