Plans underway to replace city’s destroyed ash trees
By Bill Petzold
Editor
CARO — In the past couple years, the emerald ash borer has taken its toll on the trees around the city of Caro, leading to the removal of literally hundreds of trees deemed unsafe.
Now the Caro Rotary Club and city of Caro are joining forces to begin replacing those trees, and they hope residents will volunteer to get involved with beautifying their community. They also are seeking input from residents who would like a free tree planted in their yard to help restore Caro’s tree population.
Caro Rotarian Dick Ransford said that in late 1978 or early 1979, the Caro Rotary Club made arrangements for a Forestry class at Michigan State University to survey Caro’s trees. Rotary families welcomed the students to stay at their homes.
“Bill Bortel was a member of Rotary and of the MSU Extension office, and he was the main contact to get them here, the MSU students and the professor,” Ransford said. “They inventoried every tree in the original square mile of Caro between the sidewalk and the curb. … Their conclusion was there were 1,000 trees that had climaxed out to the point where they were in the dying stage, if you will, and 1,000 trees needed to be replaced within the village if you were going to keep the (same) number of trees.”
Ransford said that at about the same time, housing developments and subdivisions were being built across Hooper Street and on Van Geisen Road, and residents expressed a desire to have trees planted there as well.
“I think the first several years we had about 150 trees that we planted,” Ransford said. “That program continued until four or five years ago, and it was a situation where we had peaked out. But by that time we had expanded the area where we were planting, and we had 3,000 trees that we had planted.
“The impetus now is since we haven’t been doing this, we don’t have a core group — there are still people in Rotary who were there planting trees right from the beginning — but age is catching up … it’s unknown how many people we’re going to be able to get to come out, in combination with the fact that they’ve taken out hundreds of ash trees.”
Caro city manager Jared Olson said the ash borer’s impact on Caro’s tree population has been dramatic.
“In the past two years — I think we (removed) 198 last year —but it’s safe to say hundreds of trees have been taken out, and it shows,” Olson said. “Entire stretches of Burnside and Lincoln, you can see where there used to be trees and there’s nothing. It’s bare, open, there’s no shade, there’s no canopy to drive under.”
Olson reported at Monday’s council meeting that three varieties of trees have been selected for planting — the Redpointe Maple, known for its brilliant red fall foliage; the Valley Forge, a Dutch Elm Disease-resistant American elm; and and the Greenspire Linden, described as “a very reliable shade tree, even for difficult conditions” by thetreefarm.com.
“By planting different types of trees, we actually maximize our potential to maintain the longevity of the trees,” Olson said. “When ashes were put in, no one thought every ash in town was ging to die. Or the Dutch Elm Disease of 10 years ago — no one imagined Dutch Elm coming through and wiping out an entire population. Basically by having this many varieties, if something unforeseen comes through we minimize our tree loss.”
The city of Caro will fund the effort to revive the tree-planting project. In the past Caro’s Rotary had been a partner, but they also are seeking other groups to become involved or perhaps take over from an organizational standpoint.
“The city council approved $2,500 for the project, which is funding to place a little over 60 trees this year,” Olson said.
“That’s the purchase,” Ransford added. “Now (the city) also supplied shovels, tree wrap, stakes, put in a stake where the tree was to be planted and drilled the hole. Rotary contributed on the average probably a thousand dollars to this project and supplied labor to plant them.”
Ransford said that the annual tree planting was an event that families took part in together. The city is funding the purchase of the trees, and Olson is reaching out to area Boy Scouts, National Honor Society members and civic groups like the Kiwanis Club, Exchange Club, Gleaners and others. Ransford remembered past planting days that he enjoyed with his own children, who eventually took the reins and were excited about volunteering to help out.
“There was an enthusiasm, and a lot of families brougth their sons and daughters and as they got older they continued to take part,” Ransford said. “It’s an educational thing for families. … People appreciated the fact that there was this free contribution to the community.”
A tree planting day is planned for Saturday, May 10, with volunteers gathering at the Caro Department of Public Works building at 8 a.m. Those who would like to have a tree planted between the sidewalk and street in their yard may call Caro City Hall at 673-2226 to request a tree on a first come, first served basis. Those wishing to volunteer also may call city hall for more information.