Their days are numbered
BY HUNTER L. ANDES
Some may likely be over a century old, but no matter how deep their roots extend, the Ash trees in Garrison, and other western North Dakota towns, will not be providing shade and beauty for much longer. Of all the trees in Garrison, roughly 30 percent are Ash trees, and within the next decade, most are going to die from what is known as the Emerald Ash Borer.
“Garrison, like many western North Dakota towns, has a large percentage of Green Ash planted throughout the city and most of these trees, along with any Black Ash and Manchurian Ash, will likely die from this insect,” Joel Nichols, community forestry specialist at the North Dakota State University extension office in Bismarck, said. “There may be a few that have some resistance, but chances of that are slim.”
The issue is, Garrison, and other communities, as well, have high abundances of Ash trees because they are a nice tree and easy to grow.
Nichols said of the Ash trees in Garrison, about half are located along the city’s boulevards. There are also a large number of Ash trees in Wilderness Park.
