Iowa communities with confirmed Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) sightings in their county may be eligible to receive free seedlings from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Forest Nursery. Seedlings have been awarded since the spring of 2019 through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, but time is running out for applications to be submitted. Selected recipients will receive up to 200 free native hardwood and evergreen saplings. These can then be planted on public property or handed out to residents for private use. While the program was implemented to replace vulnerable or damaged ash trees, it also provides an opportunity for areas that saw substantial tree damage from the Aug. 10 derecho. “We know that several cities and residents within those counties sustained major property damage during the derecho and a majority of that included the loss of thousands of trees across our state. Although this grant was in the works longs before the derecho hit, it will help many communities begin to rebuild their tree population for free following the devastating loss,” says DNR Forestry Specialist, Aron Flickinger. Seventy-three of Iowa’s 99 counties have now confirmed EAB. The grant application along with a map of where the invasive insect has been located can be found included below.
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Click HERE for seedling application
Iowa EAB map