Purpose

Beginning in 2020, the Village of Little Chute began the process of systematically removing all ash trees located within the Village right-of-way and Village owned property. This is accomplished through contracted services for ash trees that are above and beyond our ability and through the Village operations for trees that are within staff ability with a new lift that was purchased. Removal is specifically due to the Emerald Ash Borer disease that has been detected in Outagamie County, since 2015 (click here for WI tracking information). The removal of our ash trees is necessary due to the Emerald Ash Borer that infects the ash tree and causes the tree to become weak and die. From the time the Emerald Ash Borer infects a tree until the time the tree is dead and becomes a safety hazard can take as few as 2-3 years. The Village will work within every budget cycle to contract out the trees that are above and beyond our ability and cut down trees ourselves that are within our ability.

If you notice that the tree located on the terrace in front of your property is marked with a white ring around the trunk of the tree, then it has been selected for removal. The forestry department never likes to remove trees. However, the department needs to begin removing these trees so they do not cause harm to individuals or private and public property in the near future.

SIGNS OF EMERALD ASH BORER

• Loss of green color in the uppermost leaves

• Thinning and dieback of the crown

• Sprouts growing from the roots, trunk or branches of the ash tree

• Woodpecker holes

• Splits or D-shaped holes in the bark

• S-Shaped zig zags

Estimated Timeline

Starting Fall 2022, Village staff will start removing ash trees in some of the terraces within the Village. When the tree on the terrace outside a residence is scheduled to come down, the homeowner will receive a letter from the Village indicating them of this planned removal. 

Below are quick facts about our program and how it works. 

• The Village corporate limits are separated into 5 zones (click here to see zones A,B,C,D,E) 

• The Village will remove ash trees in Zone A for 2022 and Trim Trees in Zone E…and so on each year. (We trim trees year after we remove as it doesn’t make sense to trim trees we are going to cut down)

• The Ash Tree on the terrace will receive a white ring around the tree, indicating to staff and/or contractors that the tree is to come down. (FYI: Terrace trees are property of the Village of Little Chute. Some homeowners dispute this and believe that it is their property and tree.)

• In the months of May through September in any year contractors are hired to remove trees above and beyond our ability to take down safely. 

• Over the months of September to March of each year, staff will work to remove trees that are within our ability to take down safely. 

• In the months of August through September of any year, the Village will contract out stump grinding, removal, and restoration of previous years trees.

• The Village has the right to plant new trees where they see fit either in terraces or parks. This will happen in October through November of any given year depending on weather. 

• The Village also offers a Terrace Tree program where homeowners submit a completed application and $80 fee to select a terrace tree. Final selection of tree and implementation needs to be approved by the DPRF Director. Current terrace tree application and deadline can be found here.

Keeping The Wood

Due to the ability of Village staff being able to expedite the ash tree removal program, we will be placing wood that is removed at the Village Yard Waste Site located at the corner of Nixon and Eisenhower (must have paid access card to enter site). Material will be placed on the southeast corner on the asphalt. Residents are responsible for loading and cutting wood at their discretion. Please keep in mind that the State of Wisconsin is a Quarantined State for emerald ash borer. All wood needs to comply with the WI-DATCP and USDA APHIS regulations that regulate its movement. Wood can be moved between counties within Wisconsin but cannot be moved to out of Wisconsin non-quarantined areas in other states. However, it is always best to minimize any movement of firewood to reduce the chance of unknowingly transporting invasive insects or diseases. (click here for WI Firewood Rules)

Questions

Please feel free to contact John McDonald, Director of Parks, Recreation & Forestry, with any questions or concerns regarding this matter.     920-423-3868        john@littlechutewi.org

 Archived File: 2012 Emerald Ash Borer Readiness and Response Plan