MASSENA – The Massena Electric Utility Board has committed $25,000 for the removal of Ash trees impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive species from China that many experts believe gained traction in the upper Midwest before migrating to the Province of Ontario and now the North East United States. Chairman Jim Shaw noted that this community has a lot of Ash trees to deal with.

“We have a lot of Ash trees that are in public areas and a great deal on private property throughout the community. MED has to start taking down the most unstable and diseased Ash trees that are near our lines.”

MED Deputy Superintendent Matt Gray said, “We’ve been monitoring the actions and guidance of the St. Lawrence County EAB Task Force for a number of years. It is time for us to act on some of the most dangerous trees before it affects our reliability. As the ash trees become diseased, they become brittle. This condition will make the trees more susceptible to damage during high wind events. As the disease progresses within the tree, they become a bit more difficult to remove. That is why proactive removal of diseased trees is the best solution at this time.”

Massena Electric will be contacting residents who have Ash trees that are near our power lines. MED will work with the residents to remove the trees in the least intrusive manner possible. Customers will have the option of keeping the wood or having MED remove the wood for them.

Superintendent Andrew McMahon said that removing trees is contrary to what MED likes to do.

“We recognize the importance of trees for the beauty of our community and for energy efficiency. So, I hope homeowners recognize we have not made this decision lightly. As we are removing these trees MED will be working with homeowners to replant trees to fill the void left by the removal.”