Photo by Deb Gau Ash trees marked in yellow at Marshall’s Legion Field Park are scheduled for removal by the city, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud said this week. In addition to replacing city trees damaged by emerald ash borer, Marshall is now offering a reimbursement program for homeowners who remove or replace ash trees on their property.

MARSHALL — Marshall residents have been showing a lot of interest in a program to help them replace trees at risk from emerald ash borer, said Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud.

“I’ve gotten tons of phone calls and emails,” Stensrud said.

On Tuesday, the city of Marshall launched a new Ash Tree Removal and Replacement Reimbursement Program. The program will reimburse eligible Marshall residents for some of the cost of removing ash trees or planting new trees.

The city has been working to treat or remove ash trees on public property, even before the emerald ash borer was confirmed in Marshall last year. The new reimbursement program, funded by a $329,080 ReLeaf Grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is geared toward trees on private property.

“The landscape in the city of Marshall will be changed for years to come as a result of emerald ash borer. We are grateful to be able to help residents offset some costs associated with removing ash trees and adding new species in their place,” Stensrud said in a news release this week. “With the help of the ReLeaf Grant, we will be able to focus on removing unhealthy trees, treating trees we feel provide high value for our community and the spaces they are in, and continue to plant new trees.”

The emerald ash borer is a small green beetle that lays its eggs on ash trees. The beetle larvae burrow underneath the trees’ bark, and their tunnels damage and eventually kill the trees.

Public response has been good in the program’s first few days, Stensrud said.

“We had a few people who had already purchased trees,” and filled out paperwork for the reimbursement program, he said. “We’re also getting questions about tree removals.” However, homeowners interested in the reimbursement for removing ash trees will need to wait until November before taking the trees down.

The reimbursement program allows eligible Marshall residents to receive up to $100 of the purchase price of a new tree, or up to $200 of the cost for an ash tree removal. To qualify, the tree removal and stump grinding must be done by a licensed contractor, and tree removals must be done between Nov. 1 and May 1.

The emerald ash borer is less active in the cold, so it’s less likely to spread if trees are removed in the winter, Stensrud said.

To qualify for a reimbursement, new trees planted must be one of several species approved by the city. The list includes around 30 varieties of trees, ranging from oaks and birches to disease-resistant elms.

Reimbursement funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while funds are available, the city said. Residents can get more information on the reimbursement program at the Marshall city website, or by contacting Stensrud at 507-537-6786.