Deerfield will take down 223 trees that appear to be infected with the emerald ash borer, village officials said Monday night.
The Village Board voted to allow staff to take down the trees foresters identified as infected during a recent inventory of ash trees.
The inventory of 1,321 village-owned trees indicated that the emerald ash borer beetle is spreading through the village, said Barbara Little, director of public works and engineering.
Last year, the village staff found one tree near Lake Cook and Wilmot roads infected with the beetle, Little said.
Of the 223 ash trees now believed to be infected, the village identified 34 dead or dying ash trees that will be taken down in the coming weeks. The remaining are in fair condition, but they will be removed by year’s end, Little said.
Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said that residents with infected ash trees on the public space in front of their homes may be surprised how different their houses look after the trees are removed.
When a number of her elm trees were removed from her front yard because of Dutch elm disease, it created a vast open space, Rosenthal said. “It can be dramatic and traumatic,” Rosenthal said.
Residents whose properties are near these trees will be sent a letter about the possible presence of emerald ash borers and the reason for the tree removal, Little said.
Residents who find infected ash trees on their properties may apply for a village permit to remove it. The permit fee will be waived, Little said.