HR0058 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0058 LRB098 08384 MST 38489 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois comprises part of the largest urban landscape market in the country with more than 4 million urban ash trees; Illinois' tree canopy now faces a crisis due to the Emerald Ash Borer, and that will lead to a financial crisis for the State and its many municipalities; and

WHEREAS, Mature trees provide homeowners and municipalities tremendous environmental and economic benefits; trees reduce energy costs in the summer, play a role in rainwater management, and filter air; trees represent a quantifiable value to homeowners; conservatively 5 percent of a home's value is attributable to the trees on its property; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is now infested with the invasive species known as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB); most all urban ash trees in the State of Illinois will be exposed to EAB in the next 5 years and every ash tree not treated will expire shortly thereafter; and

WHEREAS, The average cost of tree removal and replacement in the State of Illinois is approximately $1,000; this crisis will cost the State and its villages, towns, and cities $3 billion to $4 billion over the next several years; and

WHEREAS, Trees can be treated for a fraction of the cost of removal and replacement; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to update its understanding of the science of treating EAB, as integrated management of EAB has evolved and improved greatly in the past 5 years; and

WHEREAS, Leading academic researchers from The University of Illinois, Michigan State University, Purdue University and Ohio State have found insecticide treatment methods to be effective, and one treatment method to be extremely effective at preserving ash trees; and

WHEREAS, The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA), the prestigious professional organization of practicing arborists, published in May 2012 its latest findings and recommendations on the management of the Emerald Ash Borer; the SMA paper warns municipalities of a "financial tsunami" if they are not proactive and develop an EAB management paper; and

WHEREAS, The SMA found that the 2 extremes of removing trees and doing nothing is neither practical nor prudent; removing trees is not financially viable for many municipalities and does great harm to home values; doing nothing puts people and property at great risk as dead trees will come crashing down in an unpredictable fashion; and

WHEREAS, The SMA found that an integrated approach that utilizes treatment along with the removal of low-grade ash trees is the best management option; and

WHEREAS, The International Society Arboriculture, the premier tree care organization in the world, supports the findings and recommendations of the SMA that advocates conservation of the urban ash canopy as the most prudent and practical management option; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge every village, town, and city within the State of Illinois to reevaluate its EAB management plan in light of the latest facts and recommendations presented by the leading experts in the spring of 2012; specifically, municipalities should spend the little time required to evaluate EAB management options over a 20-year period utilizing readily available and online economic models from either University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point or Purdue University; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Agriculture should publicly communicate and include on its website http://www.agr.state.il.us the 2012 EAB Management approach and explain the financial and environmental benefits to municipalities, citizens, and homeowners of that same approach.