DNR grants help KLGR-land communities manage ash trees for emerald ash borer

Mankato, Marshall, New Ulm, North Mankato, and Willmar are among the KLGR-land counties that have received grants from the DNR to combat emerald ash borer in trees.

In western Minnesota, where ash can comprise up to 50% of the trees in a community, EAB has been confirmed in 35 Minnesota counties including, most recently, Kandiyohi, where an emergency quarantine has been put in place for wood.

In 2021, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources awarded a combined $2.6 million in grants to 43 communities across Minnesota to combat damage caused by emerald ash borer. The grants provide funding for tree inventories, management plans, ash removal, and tree planting.

Legislative funding in 2021 provided $1.6 million to assist communities in conducting tree inventories, ash management plans, and removing and replacing ash trees.

In western Minnesota, where ash can comprise up to 50% of the trees in a community, the city of Marshall will use grant funds to plant a mixture of birch, oak, honey-locust, hackberry, ironwood, and disease-resistant elm trees. A diverse urban tree canopy is more resilient to pests, disease, and the effects of climate change.

“In addition to planting new species, we always mix up our varieties and cultivars so we don’t have all the same trees,” City Parks Superintendent Preston Stensrud said.