Officials taking Steps to Prevent Spread of Emerald ash borer

Emerald ash borer continues to prove problematic across the Rock River Valley. Since 2006, the beetle has plagued Illinois and the Loves Park area since July 2011. In the coming weeks, Loves Park will start removing 40 to 50 ash trees that have been affected by the emerald ash borer.

The tree removal task is big one this time, therefore, the officials have hired a private contractor to handle the ash elimination. Mayor Darryl Lindberg said that the destruction level is more than they can handle.

The problem is quite big in the Rock River Valley. Last year, Rockford officials removed around 2,300 trees around town. Over the next two years, the city plans to remove an additional 3,400 trees- half this year and the remaining the next year.

Mark Stockman, Rockford's street and forestry superintendent, said that they have been witnessing a rise in number of ash borers this year. "It'll probably continue to be present at high levels as we remove trees through 2016. After that, we should have a lot of the city-owned ash trees already removed and the numbers should start to dwindle some", affirmed Stockman.

In Illinois, the state Department of Agriculture has levied quarantine on 61 nations. The step being taken to prevent the spread of the beetle means that firewood and lumber cannot be moved out of the area.