Overland Park is beginning work this week to remove thousands of ash trees in the public right-of-way to counteract the effects of the emerald ash borer beetle.
If Overland Park halted proactive efforts to remove the trees, then the roughly 11,000 ash street trees — which make up nearly a quarter of the city’s tree canopy — would all eventually be killed off by the invasive species anyway, city officials said.
These neighborhoods will take part in the removal process
- Beverly Estates
- Beverly Hills
- Rancho Santa Fe
- Windgates
- Heritage Farms
- Hanover
- Oak Park
- Oak Park Manor
- Summercrest
- Indian Creek Estates
- Highcroft
- Kensington Manor
- Regency by the Lake
- Lionsgate South Lake
- Hampton Place
- Blackthorne Estates
- The Wilderness
- Wilderness Valley
See a full map of neighborhoods that will receive ash street tree removal this year.
Trees on private property will not be removed
- Between now and June, city contractors will remove more than 2,400 of ash trees in the public right-of-way.
- Residents taking part in the program will be notified a week ahead of the removal service with signs posted at the entrance to neighborhoods and door hangers placed at homes where trees will be removed.
- A red “X” will also be spray-painted on the trees set to be removed.
- Overland Park Forester Bailey Patterson said the city will still have about 8,000 ash street trees remaining after this summer that will need to be removed sometime in the future.
Overland Park will replace the ash trees this fall
- The city plans to replant one new tree for every ash tree removed in the program this fall to avoid planting during the hottest and driest months of the year.
- If there is limited space at the residential location, then the city will plant a replacement tree at a public space, such as a park or trail.
- Patterson, the city’s forester, will choose replacement tree species from the city’s approved street tree list in order to diversify the city’s overall tree canopy, according to city officials.
Go deeper: Overland Park ramps up efforts to cut down damaged ash trees
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