City to remove ash trees to prevent infestation

SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) -- The city along Lake Erie is beginning to remove ash trees even though a tree-killing beetle has not been detected within the city.
About 100 of the city's 550 ash trees should be removed by the end of September, said Mike Pisarsky, superintendent of horticultural services.
The city then plans to cut down about 70 trees each year for five years. The emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in the Midwest and has been found in 18 Ohio counties.
The pest has moved into neighboring counties and city officials expect it will eventually be detected in Sandusky, home to Cedar Point amusement park and several indoor water parks.
The city will use a $10,000 grant from the Ohio Division of Forestry to buy replacement trees, Pisarsky said.
Some city streets are lined with ash trees, so every other tree will be removed the first few years so those neighborhoods don't look devastated, he said.