City Of Arvada Announces 1st Official Report Of Emerald Ash Borer

ARVADA, CO — State officials have found the emerald ash borer in Arvada, the city announced Thursday. First detected in Colorado in 2013 and more recently found in neighboring municipalities, the invasive and highly destructive insect attacks and kills ash trees.

Around 97,000 ash trees on both private and public land in Arvada could eventually be affected by the insect, city officials said.

The city has been preparing for the eventual infestation of the insect "well ahead of its official arrival," officials said. Over the past several years, forestry staff have completed an inventory of the size, location and health of all 1,500 ash trees on Arvada public property. The city has identified resources to "proactively respond to the potential infestation" of ash trees in city parks and other public land, officials said.

Don't miss the latest news updates in Arvada: Free Arvada Patch Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter

It's unknown whether the insect arrived in Arvada by natural spread or through accidental human transport, such as in firewood or other raw ash material, officials said. Populations of the insect are capable of spreading a half-mile each year on their own. Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in Colorado in 2013 in Boulder. Since then, the insect has spread to other nearby cities including Westminster, Longmont, Broomfield and now Arvada.

Emerald ash borer is a non-native, wood-boring beetle that is responsible for the death or decline of tens of millions of ash trees in the United States and Canada. This insect was first discovered in Michigan in 2002, and since then it has spread to at least 35 states, including Colorado. As a non-native insect, emerald ash borer lacks predators to keep it in check. The beetle only attacks ash trees in the genus Fraxinus, but has also been documented infesting white fringe trees. Mountain ash and other tree species are not susceptible.

>> More information about the city's management plan for the emerald ash borer can be found here.