SHELBURNE, Vt. (WCAX) – The emerald ash borer has made an appearance again in one of Vermont’s small towns.
At the end of June, beginning of July, the town of Shelburne determined the emerald ash borer had made its way to town.
Officials say Shelburne’s tree committee is now working on a mitigation plan to get rid of the bug, and that the town had started preparing for it in 2018.
Some tree removals have already taken place, and officials are currently debating on which trees should be treated with a serum.
Replacement trees are scheduled to be planted in the village area before year end, and officials say, they will make sure to protect some of their largest ash trees.
“If they die off in large numbers It can be a whole street that looks dead. Or a whole hillside where they look dead. It’s important to stop the spread of this pest. Slow the spread through the state. Then let affected areas recover,” Matt Lawless, the Shelburne Town Manager said.
Shelburne’s tree committee says they will be working to inject trees in the town center next spring.