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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois comprises part of the
3largest urban landscape market in the country with more than 4
4million urban ash trees; Illinois' tree canopy now faces a
5crisis due to the Emerald Ash Borer, and that will lead to a
6financial crisis for the State and its many municipalities; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Mature trees provide homeowners and
8municipalities tremendous environmental and economic benefits;
9trees reduce energy costs in the summer, play a role in
10rainwater management, and filter air; trees represent a
11quantifiable value to homeowners; conservatively 5 percent of a
12home's value is attributable to the trees on its property; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is now infested with the
14invasive species known as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB); most all
15urban ash trees in the State of Illinois will be exposed to EAB
16in the next 5 years and every ash tree not treated will expire
17shortly thereafter; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The average cost of tree removal and replacement
19in the State of Illinois is approximately $1,000; this crisis
20will cost the State and its villages, towns, and cities $3
21billion to $4 billion over the next several years; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Trees can be treated for a fraction of the cost of
2removal and replacement; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to update its
4understanding of the science of treating EAB, as integrated
5management of EAB has evolved and improved greatly in the past
65 years; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Leading academic researchers from The University
8of Illinois, Michigan State University, Purdue University and
9Ohio State have found insecticide treatment methods to be
10effective, and one treatment method to be extremely effective
11at preserving ash trees; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA), the
13prestigious professional organization of practicing arborists,
14published in May 2012 its latest findings and recommendations
15on the management of the Emerald Ash Borer; the SMA paper warns
16municipalities of a "financial tsunami" if they are not
17proactive and develop an EAB management paper; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The SMA found that the 2 extremes of removing
19trees and doing nothing is neither practical nor prudent;
20removing trees is not financially viable for many
21municipalities and does great harm to home values; doing
22nothing puts people and property at great risk as dead trees

 

 

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1will come crashing down in an unpredictable fashion; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The SMA found that an integrated approach that
3utilizes treatment along with the removal of low-grade ash
4trees is the best management option; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The International Society Arboriculture, the
6premier tree care organization in the world, supports the
7findings and recommendations of the SMA that advocates
8conservation of the urban ash canopy as the most prudent and
9practical management option; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge every village,
12town, and city within the State of Illinois to reevaluate its
13EAB management plan in light of the latest facts and
14recommendations presented by the leading experts in the spring
15of 2012; specifically, municipalities should spend the little
16time required to evaluate EAB management options over a 20-year
17period utilizing readily available and online economic models
18from either University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point or Purdue
19University; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Agriculture
21should publicly communicate and include on its website
22http://www.agr.state.il.us the 2012 EAB Management approach

 

 

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1and explain the financial and environmental benefits to
2municipalities, citizens, and homeowners of that same
3approach.