The following story was excerpted from an article which ran in the October 10, 2004 issue of the Detroit News and Free Press. It is reprinted with permission from the Detroit News. Grosse Pointe Farms tackles ash tree killer Work to develop a treatment strategy began in 2001

By Norman Sinclair The Detroit News

GROSSE POINTE FARMS— After watching Dutch Elm disease ravage hundreds of towering shade trees in this upscale Lake St. Clair community 30 years ago, city offi- cials were determined not to stand by and watch their ash trees suffer the same fate at the hands of the Emerald Ash Borer. As thousands of ash trees began dying in numerous cities and town- “To do nothing about the ash would have been a disservice to our environment,” ships on the west side of Metro says Susan M. Shock, who runs Shock Brothers Tree Care, which has taken care of Detroit in 2001, Shock Brothers trees in the Farms for 46 years. Tree Care, the city’s private foresters, Shock Brothers of Warren, who years. They are still treating 400 sur- were scrambling to find out every- have been in the forestry business for viving ash trees. thing they could about the decline more than 80 years, have been tak- “To do nothing about the ash and death of the trees. ing care of trees in the Farms for 46 would have been a disservice to our Shock Brothers began trunk injec- environment,” said Susan M. Shock, tions and root soil applications simi- the third generation family member lar to the strategy used for years to e bypassed who now runs the company. “We combat the Bronze Birch Borer in “W bypassed anything that might have Michigan. anything that might been iffy and went to the best insec- The plan so far has been working, have been iffy and ticide available to the industry. We disproving the state’s contention that went to the best eliminated trying anything else, fig- the best solution is chopping down insecticide available uring if this doesn’t work we are in and grinding up infected ash trees. to the industry.” trouble.” over4 With strong and $1,000. We Heights are following the support from Using a small injection would be out some Department of Agriculture’s dictate current system called the $600,000 and not to treat ash trees, the Warren Councilman wedgle that requires that’s a lot of Consolidated School District hired Joe Leonard, money. And then Shock to treat 275 ash trees last year who was at the no drilling and does the many years on their campuses in both cities. time head of no damage, each tree you wait before “Most of them already had infesta- the city’s pub- is injected with the you regain the tions and we lost a few, but all the lic service insecticide Imidacloprid environmental others are doing beautifully,” Shock department, at the base. benefits of these said. “The ones we lost had other the company beautiful trees.” serious problems as well that could tagged 600 Shock Brothers have killed them.” older ash trees with trunks of four have been successfully treating 1,600 Earlier this month the ash tree dis- inches or bigger on city public areas. ash trees on public and private prop- aster hit Shock close to home. Numbered brass badges were erty in the Farms. Susan Shock said As she drove home after work to attached to each tree to keep track of 98 percent of the trees treated from her condominium complex, them. The treatments began in 2002 remain healthy. Aberdeen Pines, the 13 ash trees that 2002. Among them are 70 towering lined the driveway were gone. Using a small injection system specimens planted by Edsel and Three years ago the condo associa- called the Wedgle that requires no Eleanor Ford in the 1920s on the tion declined to treat the trees. drilling and does no damage, each grand lawn of their 86-acre estate, “Over the last two years, I watched tree is injected with the insecticide now a popular museum on Lake helplessly as those trees declined and Imidacloprid at the base. Shore Drive. died,” she said. Now, in the third year of treat- Don Snodgrass, the estate’s direc- ment, nearly 700 ash trees in parks, tor of grounds, said while it is along roads, and public rights of way impossible to treat about 1,500 ash Shock Brothers have boast full healthy canopies. trees in the woods that span the been successfully “I think we have beaten this thing. property, saving those on the grand treating 1,600 ash We have not lost one tree since (the lawn, some of which soar over the trees on public and Emerald Ash Borer) has been identi- Tudor mansion, is a priority. fied, and that’s a pretty good success “We keep the integrity of the orig- private property in the rate,” said Terry Brennan, the city’s inal landscape by replacing any tree Farms. Susan Shock current director of public works. that dies with an identical tree. said 98 percent of the “Look at what other communities Losing these ash would be disas- trees treated from 2002 are spending removing and replacing trous,” he said. remain healthy. trees,” he said. “Removing and While Shock’s hometown of replacing trees cost between $750 Warren and neighboring Sterling