EAB-infested trees being removed at Windmill SRA

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission this week began an extensive process of removing ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer from Windmill State Recreation Area.

This project, at the park south of Gibbon in Buffalo County, is expected to last several years and will focus on ensuring the future safety of visitors and making room for new trees to be planted.

The scale of the infestation is such that it will require an ongoing process to establish a diverse variety of trees to replace hundreds of ash trees in the park.

Superintendent Grant Gartner asks for visitors to be patient and vigilant as crews and equipment are present in the park.

The emerald ash borer is a small, wood-boring beetle. EAB larvae burrow beneath the bark of ash trees, which disrupts the flow of water and nutrients, leading to tree decline and death.