The Crookston Parks and Recreation Department held an open house at City Hall on Wednesday evening to discuss the city’s Emerald Ash Borer Preparation Project.
Crystal Rayamajhi from the University of Minnesota Extension’s Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships has been working with Parks and Recreation Director Scott Butt on developing this project since 2024, which is designed to inventory green ash trees in Crookston and identify trees that are in poor health or are already dead to keep the emerald ash borer away for a few more years. In return, the city will replace those trees by planting at least 130 trees of various species. The tree removal and planting will be funded through a $140,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We did an inventory of all the green ash trees in the city of Crookston, and from there we looked at different defects that we were noticing in these trees, and then prioritizing removals based on what we are seeing for defects and health status,” said Rayamajhi. “So we’re kind of going after the most unhealthy trees first to try to give capacity to the city of Crookston, and just use our resources wisely to get ready for the emerald ash borer.”.
Rayamajhi and Butt have developed a list of tree species approved by the DNR for planting as replacements for ash trees throughout town, including elm and birch, honeylocust, coffee, Ohio buckeye, and oak. Overall, Rayamajhi and Butt have worked well to get trees inventoried and identified for removal, while also developing a plan for which trees will be planted in their place. “It’s been so fun,” Rayamajhi said. “I love working with communities of this size. So it’s one thing that we try to do as part of my roles is help give capacity to smaller size communities. And Scott, it’s been always so fun working with you and bringing students in, and the students have been learning more about how we help manage the urban canopy. So yeah, it’s been amazing.”
The current plan is to put the tree removal project out to bid soon, as the tree removal and initial planting need to be completed by July 1, 2027. Residents who have trees on their property identified for removal will be notified by the city by mail and in person to gather their input on what type of tree to plant to replace the ash trees.
