CITY

What's with the blue 9 markings on your curbside trees? Blame the Emerald Ash Borer

Argus Leader

Ash trees growing in Sioux Falls boulevards are being marked with blue 9s by the city of Sioux Falls. City Hall's forestry division will begin cutting down marked trees in January.

Thousands of ash trees line Sioux Falls streets. And soon, many of them will don some unfamiliar markings.

The city of Sioux Falls has begun marking selected ash trees in the core of the city that are susceptible to infestation by the emerald ash borer with the number nine (9), painted in blue.

In all, the city expects to to have about 3,000 ash trees marked this fall, a preemptive measure to slow the infestation. The work is being conducted by the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation's forestry division.

More:How many ash trees will your neighborhood park lose in the next decade?

Ash trees are being marked between Louise and Cleveland Avenues from 12th Street to 41st Street. More southward areas are also included near 57th Street and a swath of southern Sioux Falls between Minnesota and Cliff Avenues.

This map shows the section of Sioux Falls the parks office has designated for ash tree removal during the first year of its 10-year emerald ash borer management plan.

It's a 10-year plan for the removal of ash trees in public boulevards. And after ash trees are marked this fall, arborists will begin cutting them down in January.

Removal of ash trees will go on until Memorial Day 2019 when another moratorium on cutting them down will begin.

So what if you've treated your street side trees for emerald ash borer in hopes of saving it?

According to the city's website, any arborist treating a privately-owned or boulevard ash tree is required to provide documentation to the city so treated trees don't get cut down.

"If you've treated the tree yourself, call the 211 Helpline and report what trees have been treated on your property," the website reads.