To the editor:

Why should we care that this week, Feb. 20-26, is National Invasive Species Awareness Week? The big reason is money. Invasive species cost money. The big one for our area will be the loss of our beautiful ash trees. There are omninous signs — increased woodpecker activity and the loss of bark. Once the bark is gone you can see all the burrowing that has been done by the larval stage of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. Another sign of impending doom is the fact that many cities are changing their management plans — trees are dying so quickly and in such large numbers that chemical treatment is being dropped in favor of removal. The cost of removal will be high.

There are many invasive spieces. This week is an excellent opportunity to improve our knowledge of invasive species. Familiarize yourself with invasive species in our area (buckthorn, garlic mustard, Amur silver grass, Siberian elm, and others). Learn how to deal with them. Share your research with others. These places have excellent online information: the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Joe Gartner

New Ulm