Remember this Arbor Commission panel discussion event:
Pests and Disease: The Cost of Doing Nothing – Panel discussion
In case you missed it, here is the audio recording from the Arbor Commission’s panel discussion!
Our panelists for that evening included Sophie Cameron, Ben Arruda, Lauren Gonzalez, and Brittany Schappach. Cameron is an Intern Forester and Forestry Technician for the City of Bangor. Arruda is the Forestry Manager for the City of Bangor Public Works Department. Schappach is an entomologist for the Maine Forest Service. Gonzalez is a postdoctoral research associate for the University of Maine’s Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik (APCAW) Lab.
The panel was called, “Pests and Disease: The Cost of Doing Nothing,” and we talked about the importance of trees. Specifically, we looked at their economic value through the numerous ecosystem services they provide us as humans. Whether it be precipitation interception, altering building energy use, carbon sequestration, or removing air pollution and reducing exposure to UV radiation, turning a blind eye to the economic and health benefit of trees is nonsensical.
Crucial to the panel was the examination of the diverse host of invasive pests and diseases that present the most immediate threat to trees within Ellsworth and among forests across the state of Maine. Insects like emerald ash borer, hemlock wooly adelgid, and brown-tail moth caterpillars were the dangers that our conversation tended to revolve around. We pointed out that when an untreated ash tree is infested with emerald ash borer, there is a 99% mortality rate. What a staggering statistic!
Our hour-long discussion also featured the different options available to municipalities and homeowners to address pests and preserve ecosystem services. We weighed the cost of chemical treatments and biocontrol options against the cost of tree removal and replacement. We looked at the management plan drafted by Bangor’s Cameron and Arruda, in which they crunched the numbers and determined the dollar amounts for both treatment and benefits. Give it a listen!
Michael Otzwirk
Community Tree Steward
Maine Conservation Corps
