Waterloo to replace 217 trees destroyed by emerald ash borers

The City of Waterloo plans to spend more than $100,000 this year to replace ash trees that were destroyed by emerald ash borers in 2014.

The investment was announced during a council meeting on Monday night by Eckhard Pastrick, Director of Environment and Parks, who said the city lost 217 ash trees last year.

• Emerald ash borer: how a tiny bug could cost big bucks
• Why cheaper firewood could curb emerald ash borer's spread

"2014 was the first year we started noticing losses associated with the emerald ash borer," Pastrick said. "We expect that, as the infestation grows, we will have more losses moving forward each year."

That means the cost of dealing with the emerald ash borer will go up annually, but Pastrick says the city is well prepared, with $3 million set aside to be used over a 10 year period. 

Last year, $25,000 went towards removing dead ash trees within the city and this year, for the first time, money from the fund will be used to replace those trees. 

Pastrick says the replacement trees will not be ash trees, but will be chosen from a list that includes sugar maples, red maples and service berries.