The Wall Lake City Council gathered for a work session Friday afternoon to finalize their plans to remove vulnerable ash trees from the city’s property and right-of-ways. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), which targets these trees, is not in Sac County yet but has been confirmed in at least two neighboring counties. Clerk, Chris Rodman, says the council heard a status update on EAB from a representative of the Iowa Department of Agriculture Friday afternoon. Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
City crews already started the lengthy process of removing 400+ ash trees in response to the spread of the invasive green beetle. However, the city council had not taken formal action on a long-term plan until Monday’s meeting. According to Rodman, the plan that was approved Monday is a relatively simple one.
Rodman adds a part of the plan the council has approved provides for new trees to be planted each May to replace the ones that have been removed.
Ash trees located nearby city electric lines or some of the town’s busier streets will not be allowed to remain due to the potential for future service disruptions or vehicle damage. Rodman expect it to take up to a decade for crews to cut down the hundreds of trees on public property and rights-of-way. Residents with questions or concerns are encouraged to contact Rodman at Wall Lake City Hall at 712-664-2216.