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kill some larvae, it does not make a difference. Eventu- Remember Ash... ally the tree will turn “blond” from bark peeling off. It’s Emerald Ash Borer amazing how fast this process can occur. From my tree -stand 2 years ago I could not recognize the presence of by Ryan Trapani, Education Forester, Catskill Forest Association EAB. By the next hunting season, trees were barely Update leafing out and were riddled with woodpecker mark- Jim Waters, Executive Director, CFA ings. By the time they show woodpecker markings, Remember ash… America’s Ashland. EAB is picky; it only picks on ash they’re already infested. New York State officials has been making regulations to trees. slow the spread of Emerald Ash Borer. They don’t expect it to Some of us have heard stories from our grandparents – or Being Proactive be eradicated. Their goal is to slow the spread in order to give even great grandparents – about the American chestnut Seeing is Believing In the last 2 years I have climbed a few dying ash trees municipalities a little more time to address the issue of re- tree. Chestnut trees were used in flooring, fine furniture, moving the hazardous ash trees and allow landowners and When I first heard about the EAB’s discovery near Sauger- that have succumbed to EAB. As some are aware of, building construction and even fence-posts. Equally im- ash wood is already fairly dry. As the tree dies, the the forest industry to get the most value out of the product ties, Ulster County and how it would translate into the before it disappears. Yes…disappears! Thank goodness this portant were the actual chestnuts themselves; they were wood quickly becomes brittle and begins dropping destruction of ash, I held out room for optimism. Maybe it insect only affects the ash species. It seems to me that we highly sought after by both humans and wildlife. Chest- branches. Therefore, once you see those aforemen- would slow down, or perhaps a new predator would be tioned woodpecker markings, you should think about should be spending a little more money in our ports so that nuts were gathered and sold in every major city. Some released or found that would reduce EAB’s impacts. May- removing the tree. Removing the tree while it’s still this type of tragedy can be at least lessened. forest historians claim that American chestnut once made be it would be different in the Catskills for some other rea- sound is both safer on the tree worker and perhaps less They expect that in a year or two the insect will have up almost a third of the entire tree-cover in some places of pricy too. Lastly, if you want to save a specimen tree son. I was wrong. As the insect wrapped around the spread to such an extent that most of the state will have just the eastern US making it the most abundant tree species. near the house, you can use pesticides that can be ei- Ashokan Reservoir and into the towns of Woodstock, Hur- one or two very large quarantine areas, and ultimately the American chestnut was no slouch either; it reached diame- ther sprayed near the bottom of the tree or injected area affected will be the entire state. ley, and Olive, its trail could easily be seen from the road. into it. Some of these chemicals can be used by the ters between 2 to 5 feet. Almost every ash showed signs of EAB’s path. I cut down homeowner or serviced by a Certified Pesticide Appli- My advice to landowners is to immediately take down any ash trees that pose a hazard to utility lines, driveways, Unfortunately a chestnut blight was introduced in 1904 the ash tree in my front yard last year since it too had cator. Pesticide treatment is mostly contained to late high use areas and buildings. There is one way that has prov- making this tree a ghost by the mid-20th century in places EAB. Also, it doesn’t matter whether the tree is healthy or spring into early summer and should only be used while the tree is still fairly healthy. en to be somewhat effective at protecting an ash tree from the like the Catskill Mountains. The only remnants of this not; it’s just another food source for EAB. borer, but requires the use of herbicides on a regular basis. great tree are curious place names like Chestnut Creek The most effective treatment is with individual stem injection EAB kills the tree by girdling the inner bark. The adults The American Chestnut Foundation & SUNY near Grahamsville or Chestnut Street in New Paltz. Once of trees prior to being infected. are a beautiful emerald green and about the size of a dime. ESF a r e close to releasing a blight-resistant chestnut in a while, I’ll spot a curious leaf on the side of the road, However, the adults do little damage. Instead, it’s the bee- which might finally bring back this great tree; perhaps my After dealing with the removal or treatment of the haz- like the one I saw near Dunraven one day while walking. ardous trees and trees you have decided to invest time and tle’s larval stage that does the deed. Serpentine galleries grandchildren will know chestnut. And maybe something Its leaf is similar to a beech tree’s leaf, but more lanceo- money in, an evaluation of whether it makes sense to harvest under the bark work their way across the entire tree. EAB will come along to help ash too. Who knows? If you have late. The old roots are still around, and given enough sun- the rest of your ash trees should be done. often goes undetected until the tree is infested. Wood- nay questions concerning ash trees, or any other tree, the light can sprout back and grow a small tree before suc- Unfortunately, Europe, one of two major buyers of ash pecker marks along the trunk are the easiest way to identi- Catskill Forest Association offers free consultations for cumbing to the blight. In areas where fire is or was com- lumber, has banned bringing in any ash from the US…even fy EAB. These woodpecker marks are where the bird has members. mon – such as Ashokan High Point, the Catskill Escarp- though the ash lumber is debarked and kiln-dried. China, the been feeding on the larvae. Although woodpeckers may www.catskillforest.org other major customer is still importing ash from us, but this ment, and the Shawangunk Ridge – small chestnut trees has a resulted in as much as a 30% drop in ash saw log prices can be found. These root-sprouts are sapling-sized and in some areas. Locally, the prices seem to be good right now. short-lived. After one forest fire, I was lucky enough to For an explanation on specific regulations with ash fire- harvest chestnuts from 5 to 7 year old sprouts that had wood, saw logs, mulch, or chips, please contact the New York miraculously fruited. They were all dead by the next year. State Department of Environmental Conservation NYS DEC Today, the largest American chestnut tree in New York or feel free to contact me directly at the office of the Catskill State is about 22 inches in diameter or so. The largest one Forest Association (845) 586-3054. I have seen in the Catskills is about 14 inches; I just heard last week it’s beginning to die. Naturally, So, what’s the point of this story? Well, unfortunately you and I may be that old grandparent in the making. Instead of telling tales of chestnut, we’ll be telling tales of the white ash tree. “Yep, there used to be baseball bat factories Jim Waters using ash. It was one of the nicest growing trees in the Catskill forest.” Baseball factories have all closed in the Executive Director Catskills a long time ago, but due more to other reasons Catskill Forest Association than a lack of ash. Although not as widely distributed as chestnut was, it is home in the Catskills. Ash grows great here. It is straight-growing and easily reaches merchanta- Image of emerald ash borer serpentine galleries ble diameters and lofty heights. However, it is now being and woodpecker damage threatened by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), or Agrilus Woodpecker ‘blonding’ as a result of EAB infestation planipennis, an insect from Asia happy to be in Photo by Ryan Trapani Photo by Ryan Trapani 8 9 Rattlesnakes and Fire by Ryan Trapani, Education Forester, Catskill Forest Association Late this spring a large fire erupted on the have almost stepped on rattlesnakes isn’t because I’ve Shawangunk Ridge burning hundreds of acres on Minne- been looking for them; I was never that kid in school who waska State Park Preserve, Ulster County. The fire’s would volunteer to hold the pet snake. Instead, it was be- flames sparked conversation throughout the region about fire in the forest and its potential impacts on wildlife. In cause I have a sweet tooth for low-bush blueberries. Re- fact, shortly after the blaze – and many miles away – I was member those Ellenville locals I referenced earlier? Well, standing on line at the local gas station and overheard a before World War 2, some Ellenville locals would make conversation between the cashier and customer. “It’s dev- their living off of picking wild blueberries; more so than astating,” referenced the customer about the fire. “I just most other regions in the state.

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