FeedsEmerald Ash Borer
Affected tree to be turned into township table
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Dan Swallow, director of environment for Van Buren Township, shows off the log from a tree damaged by the Emerald Ash Borer that will be made into a table and displayed at township hall.When Lianne Clair discovered her 72-year-old ash tree was infected with the emerald ash borer disease, she decided that instead of getting rid of it entirely she would donate a portion to the township.
“I wanted to keep something of the tree to document its grandeur,” she said. “Some elements of our house were hand-crafted from local trees and I thought that ‘table tops’ cut from the biggest ash would be a perfect addition to our home.”
Clair, who cut five disks from the tree, decided to donate one of those disks to the township. It could be turned into a log table to be displayed at Van Buren Township Hall, as well as educate residents about the emerald ash borer disease, she said.
Dan Swallow, director of environment for the township, said it’s assumed that most ash trees will be gone from Southeast Michigan, including the Belleville area.
“Now, most of the trees that have been infected are dying or are already dead,” he said. “People are researching more treatments to get rid of the disease for good, but until they can get rid of the bug it just has to run its course.
“We want to display this piece of the tree in township hall because it shows what resource has been lost in the area,” Swallow added.
Emerald ash borer disease first came to Michigan in 2002. Since then it has destroyed more than 20 million trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana with most of the devastation in southeast Michigan, according to emerald ash borer website.
Last summer, 22 Van Buren Township residents participated in a state sponsored ash borer replacement program. About 45 trees were removed in the program, including Clair’s ash tree.
“Our tree was magnificent,” said Clair. “It measured 109 inches in circumference at about chest high and stood about 140 feet tall. It was located in the back of our house by the deck, which overlooks Griggs Drain. Everyone who visited was drawn to touch it, even hug it.”
Van Buren Township no longer offers assistance in ash tree removal, but there are specific marshaling yards to dispose of the wood, Swallow said. For more information visit www.emeraldashborer.info or www.michigan.gov/mda.
