Plan for the future, possible disease when selecting trees
I like the idea of more trees in Columbus, but I hope the varieties of trees to be planted will be selected carefully. It would seemingly be a bad idea to plant mostly maples, for example, given the imminent invasion of the Asian longhorned beetle (Dispatch article from June 29, 2021 https://www. dispatch.com/article/20110627/ NEWS/306279774).
We also are threatened with other newly-introduced invasive pathogens causing sudden death to oaks and pines as well as other trees. A number of tree species, it seems, may go the way of the elms (Dutch elm disease) and the ash trees (emerald ash borer).
It can happen quickly. The first emerald ash borer to be found in Ohio showed up in 2003; we have now lost the vast majority of our ash trees.
I’m no arborist, and I’m not sure which species of trees are most likely to last, but it would be a pity for Columbus to invest in thousands of maples, only to have to pay to have them all removed a decade from now. I hope the planners are truly planning for the future!
Booth Muller, Sunbury