If you have nothing else to read check this out. I know here in Kentucky the Transportation Cabinet is crying about how much it is spending on removal of dead ash trees that pose a threat to motorists and transportation facilities. CTPost: Towns struggle with removing ash trees killed by invasive pest. Towns struggle with removing ash trees killed by invasive pest
Very good article! The costs for ash removal are really going to be substantial. Like slow motion cleanup of a storm that kills 6% of the trees. Small consolation... "Even once the ashes are removed, there’s another cost to get rid of the dead wood. Redding will give it to residents for firewood for free. Public Works will even deliver it to the end of their driveways. “The problem is there’s so much dead wood that there’s not a shortage of firewood,” Hanson said." But the state has a different idea..."The state will destroy the wood and return it to the woods if the area allows, or they’ll bring it back to a DOT area. If they collect enough dead wood, they’ll bid it out for a company to turn it into mulch. Nursick said giving the wood away has too many risks."
Good article Ralphie. It could be a fallacy but it is my understanding that we can't even remove the wood from our county for fear of spreading the EAB.
I don't know if the ban is still in effect in Boone County. I don't know why it would be, there isn't a living white or green ash to be found within at least 250 miles of us. Just look at the hills around us in the summer, many look like the dead of winter because of the dead ash trees. After all the cutting I've done I still have 75 dead ash on 6 acres! However I still have 4 or 5 nice blue ash trees that seem to be doing fine. For what ever reason the EAB are not fond of blue ash and tend to leave them alone or 'save' them for their last choice. They could be the key in developing a hybrid ash that is resistant to the little green monster. Most places have given up and done away with the ban for EAB because it is pointless. But because of other pests such as the long horn beetle there will always be some sort of ban on moving wood.
One would think we'd be seeing the markets flooded with ash products, flooring, furniture and all sorts of other ash products, with all the murdered ash trees.
Over the next few weeks between 50 and 60 ash trees will be removed along roads in Redding. It’s just a fraction of the more than 900 ash trees planned to come down over the next few years due to the destruction left by the invasive emerald ash borer. These weeks of work will cost $30,000... The most amazing part of this is the cost. If you remove 60 trees and it cost $30,000, that says $500 per tree. Wouldn't it be nice if we could get paid $500 for removing a tree?!!! Many would quit their regular jobs to do this.
Real tree people, the one's certified, bonded and insured, are getting a minimum of $500 a tree and I know of tree takedowns within 5 miles if me that went for $2000! Bucket truck, climber, chipper with 2 feeders, cleanup and any lawn repair that may be needed after the job.
I have to chime in here. First this involves public highways so to start there are at least 2 extra employees for traffic control per tree crew. yes at first it sounds high but when you start to figure in the cost of bucket trucks and commercial grade chippers and of course, insurance on tree crews...and there are probably state wage rates...then it starts to look reasonable...
Another added cost is constantly stopping work for passing cars. Watching the guys trying to top the trees on the road near me they have to stop for every car that’s allowed to pass. They don’t bother starting until the heaviest morning rush is over. I usually go around some other road when I can. Wish others would do the same.
I didn’t even realize the EAB had hit CT. Guess I’m not quite in a forested enough area to even realize it. Guess I will become much more familiar with ash over the next several years. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Around here we've had dead oaks that could fall onto roadways and along highways they went in with bucket trucks and chippers and cut off the top half of the tree and chipped it, blowing the chips trying to disperse them into the woods without making piles. Left the trunks standing. None tall enough to reach the road when it falls. Looks kinda weird but nothing or very little had to be hauled out.
Yep, I recognized it instantly! Stop by some time. If you're headed to Rabbit Hash from Big Bone we are the brick house on the right about .5 mile from the intersection of Beaver Road and Big Bone Church Road. Across the street are some of my stacks; they make a good landmark as well.
Been there... the weekend after I joined I scootered by and took a pic of ur house! I posted it on here...
Yep, drop & chop is one thing, Buckets, chippers, power lines, traffic & disposal are a whole other ballgame. When they cut all the Ash here a few years back the service that got the job gave a flat bid of $600.00 per tree. He said the only thing that made the job turn a profit was the guys like me that chased them & cleaned up the firewood. He said he couldn't even haul it back, process & sell it for enough to make any money. Burnt a lot of Ash for several years. Having done some tree work, I don't begrudge them/us what we charge. There's a lot of "unseen" expenses & risks. Nobody calls for the one straight tree out on the middle of the open field.
