Emerald Ash Borer Management

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus Planipennis) is an invasive wood-boring beetle native to East Asia. It is believed the pest was transported to the United Stateshidden in wooden packing material. The pest was was discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002 and its presence has since been confirmed in  29 states, primarily in the east and midwest. The presence of the beetle as confirmed in several private trees in the northeast area fo the Village in 2016 and in many Village-owned trees in the years since. Currently it has been detected in 69 of Wisconsin's 72 counties. 

Adult Emerald Ash Borer

Shorewood EAB Readiness Plan

The Village began planning for EAB in 2009 with the development of its Emerald Ash Borer Readiness Plan. The document used a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources template to outline the impacts of an EAB infestation in the village and identify the essential personnel, procedures, and resources - both human and fiscal - that would be needed to combat the beetle. The goal of this planning effort was to minimize the economic, aesthetic, and ecological impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer on the Village of Shorewood. 

EAB Management Strategies

The goal is to minimize the economic, aesthetic and ecological impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer on the Village of Shorewood. Strategic treatment and proactive removal are both a part of the Village's management strategy. The overall intent is to use the available limited resource to reduce the ash population at a manageable rate, 

Ash Tree Treatment. Shorewood began an ash tree treatment program in 2009, identifying trees for treatment using the criteria outlined in the Readiness Plan. Each spring, DPW Forestry personnel perform trunk injections of Tree-age G4 systemic insecticide, which has been shown in to have up to 99% EAB control. In most cases, the intent of this treatment is not to indefinitely prolong the life of the tree, but to allow the Village to manage removals and maintain adequate tree canopy cover.

Ash Tree Replacement Program. Select ash trees are also identified for proactive removal. The Shorewood Village Board approved the current Ash Tree Replacement Program policy on February 18, 2014:

  • Removal of any ash tree with a condition rating of less than 50% (fair or poor as rated in the Village's GIS urban forestry app); AND
  • Removal of all European and green ash with a diameter breast height of less than 24 inches.
DRG assessment cover

Emerald Ash Borer Plan Assessment

The Village was awarded a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant in 2018 to update its GIS tree inventory and perform a review and assessment of its ash management program. The Emerald Ash Borer Plan Assessment was published in 2019 and details a review of Shorewood’s EAB management program. It highlights EAB program successes, identifies challenges, and outlines recommendations based on current research, generally accepted industry best management practices (BMPs) and assumed continued village resources to further improve Shorewood’s EAB management program. 

For real time information on Shorewood's ash population, visit our EAB Dashboard!


See up-to-the minute data on our total ash inventory, the number of trees under active treatment, treatment maps and more.

EAB dashboard screen shot

For more information on the Emerald Ash Borer, please visit Wisconsin's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCAP) Emerald Ash Borer information source website.