What can and can’t be done to stop the emerald ash borer issue in Portland

Thousands of Portland’s trees are on borrowed time. 

The emerald ash borer is gaining more of a foothold in the state's largest city. After being spotted in far Aroostook and southern York counties in 2018, Portland foresters put out traps and collected the non-native, invasive insects in Payson Park in 2019. 

The Davey Tree Expert Company’s Portland, Maine, office’s district manager Chris Plante put the borer spread bluntly. 

"It’s gonna decimate the ash population," Plante said.