Monthly Archives: March 2018

Be A Smart Ash EAB awareness campaign winning hearts in Denver

Below is an excerpt from a larger feature story that appeared in “Parks & Rec Business” in February 2018. It was penned by Sara Davis, the Urban Forestry Program Manager with the Office of the City Forester, a division of Denver Parks & Recreation. She is also one of the creators of the Be A Smart Ash campaign.

DENVER, Colo. — In the city and county of Denver, Colo., one in six trees is an ash, making it vital that residents understand how they can save the ash trees and protect the city’s urban forest. The Be A Smart Ash movement, an unexpectedly irreverent, city-driven, five-year campaign launched in 2016, has rallied citizens to protect the ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The campaign’s goal is to encourage residents to take action, identify ash trees, and (when necessary) treat or replace them.

One year later, citizens, community leaders, and tourists are falling in love with the campaign, which includes:

  • An original song and outrageous music video sponsored by Be A Smart Ash and produced by Denver Botanic Gardens and Jonny 5 of The Flobots
  • An interactive map, using tree inventory data that allow citizens to quickly assess whether there is an ash tree on their property
  • Bus tails: “Big Ash, Small Ash: No matter the size, it’s time to get your ash in gear”
  • Tree tags: “This Ash is Covered,” following treatment by the city
  • Tree wraps that are winning hearts
  • A playful but informative Twitter handle, @BeASmartAsh.
An adult emerald ash borer sitting on an ash tree leaf

Emerald Ash borer discovered in Lyons, Colorado

LYONS, Colo. — State officials have confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) – an invasive, highly destructive tree pest – in the Town of Lyons in northern Boulder County. This new detection is still just within a quarantine area established to try and prevent the human-assisted spread of EAB. However, it represents the fourth community with confirmation of EAB in Colorado outside the City of Boulder, where the pest was first detected in 2013.

An estimated 15 percent or more of all urban and community trees in Colorado are ash species susceptible to being killed by EAB – and a majority of these trees are on private land. EAB attacks and kills both stressed and healthy ash trees and is so aggressive that trees typically die within two to four years after becoming infested.

An arborist recently identified an ash tree on private land in the vicinity of 4th Avenue and Broadway Street in Lyons as potentially infested with EAB. The property manager notified members of the interagency Colorado EAB Response Team, which is working to manage the spread and impacts of the pest in Colorado. An adult beetle specimen found in the tree was provided to the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and then confirmed by Colorado State University experts as being EAB. The infested tree and surrounding trees also are being examined by experts from the CDA and Colorado State University Extension.

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