You can find almost everything you need to know about planting a tree in Pierre in the City’s new Tree Planting Guide. The document, developed by the City’s Arbor Board, includes City ordinances, pruning guidelines, a chart of trees that can survive in Pierre, as well as information about the Emerald Ash Borer.
Art Smith, Arbor Board Chairman, says that the Guide was published for a couple of reasons, including preparation for the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer.
“We’re advising people to remove their ash trees before that pesky bug arrives,” said Smith. “This Guide will help people decide how to replace those ash trees and what species of tree to use.”
An estimated 40% of trees in Pierre are ash trees, making them susceptible to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The EAB was identified in Sioux Falls in 2018 and will eventually make its way to Pierre. Once here, it will kill all unprotected ash trees.
Gradually adding to the tree stock before EAB gets here allows new trees to develop, while the established ash trees continue to provide shelter and shade. This also spreads out the cost of removing old trees and planting replacement trees.
The Guide is a consolidated version of a number of older publications that had been provided by the City. This updated and more complete document is free and available at cityofpierre.org, Pierre City Hall, and Rawlins Municipal Library.
The publication was made possible by an Urban Forestry Grant provided by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.