Ash Tree Treatment in Brookings, SD
Every fact cited
Emerald ash borer was confirmed in Brookings in July 2024, and Brookings County was added to South Dakota’s state Plant Pest Quarantine the same month. Since 2018, the city’s Forestry Division has been proactively thinning weaker boulevard ash in anticipation of exactly this, and the city now removes and grinds boulevard ash trees at no cost to the adjoining homeowner — though the homeowner is responsible for backfilling topsoil and reseeding afterward, and a planting permit is required to put a new tree in the boulevard.
That program only covers boulevard (right-of-way) trees. Ash on private property — in backyards, along fence lines, on SDSU-adjacent residential blocks — is the homeowner’s call: treat if the tree is a strong candidate, remove if it isn’t.
The pages below cover the signs to watch for, what treatment involves, typical costs, how to choose a provider, and how the boulevard removal program actually works.
Does the city of Brookings remove ash trees for free?
The City Forestry Division removes and grinds stumps for boulevard (right-of-way) ash trees at no cost to the homeowner. The homeowner covers topsoil backfill, reseeding, and needs a permit to plant a replacement tree in the boulevard. This program does not cover ash trees on private property.
When was EAB confirmed in Brookings?
July 2024, per the City of Brookings' official announcement, which also triggered DANR's expansion of the state quarantine to Brookings County.