Two Grants Awarded For Emerald Ash Borer Fight

U.S. Forest Service Funds Illinois Wood Utilization Committee

LISLE, IL (June 28, 2007) – The Illinois Emerald Ash Borer Wood Utilization Committee - which seeks ways to utilize the ash wood from trees felled by the borers - received a major boost with a $100,000 grant from United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

“We are thankful to everyone who worked to make this grant a reality,” said Edith Makra, arborist and Morton Arboretum Community Trees Advocate, who was instrumental in securing the funding and who formed the wood utilization committee. “This funding will help us to make something positive out of the losses caused by the Emerald Ash Borer.”

The two-year grant will help fund the Ash Reclamation Project, administered by the Illinois Conservation Foundation, and will help industries and Illinois communities, combating the threat of the Emerald Ash Borer, connect to make the best use of ash wood products . Committee members seek to create market opportunities for the ash, to build capacity, and demonstrate the value of the urban ash resource.

EAB, an invasive species from Asia, is a bright green beetle that kills ash trees by burrowing into bark and destroying the tree’s ability to bring water from the roots to the upper branches. EAB has been found in Kane and Cook Counties; it killed nearly 20 million ash trees in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario, and recently, was discovered in Pennsylvania.

Also, the Arboretum has once again received a $60,000 government grant to proceed with its EAB “trap tree” program, designed to locate the edges of the borer's infestation in Illinois.

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of 4,057 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission - the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier, Central Time. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and 9:30 to 4 p.m. (CST). Visit www.mortonarb.org or call 630/968-0074 to learn more.

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