Metroparks to Cut Down Ash Trees

The Cleveland Metroparks will remove an estimated 433 ash trees that have become infested with the dreaded , including some in the Mill Stream Run Reservation.

Four areas targeted this summer are:

• Big Creek Reservation - On the east and west side of the parkway and all purpose trail, south of Snow Road Picnic Area to Wilderness Lane. 

• Mill Stream Run Reservation - Along Eastland Road, between the railroad trestle and the river ford.

• Rocky River Reservation - On the hillside behind thePark Operations ManagementCenter.

• Rocky River Reservation - Along Valley Parkway, south of the I-480 bridge to Brookway Lane .

The first Emerald Ash Borer infestation in Cleveland Metroparks was noted in 2008 along Big Creek Parkway in Big Creek Reservation. This pest, native to Asia, likely first arrived in the United States in shipping pallets from China.

 After ash trees are infested with the borer, the trees typically die in five or six years. Cleveland Metroparks Forestry and Natural Resources staffs have recommended cutting and removing trees in certain high-use areas to insure visitor safety.

As part of the identification process, the trees to be removed are being marked with orange and white paint. The removal process will start in June and continue through the end of September.