The greenway connecting Victor Ashe Park and Northwest Middle School will be closed during the day starting Monday, Aug. 3, as crews cut down 22 diseased ash trees.

The greenway is expected to reopen by Thursday, Aug. 6. The greenway also will be open Monday evening, Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening next week, when crews aren’t working in the area.

The ash trees are victims of the emerald ash borer, an exotic pest that’s decimating tens of thousands of trees nationally and has spread its way to East Tennessee.

The non-native Asian insects arrived in the United States in 2002 with shipping materials that contained ash wood. From Detroit, the bugs quickly expanded their range and finally reached Knoxville about four years ago.

The invasive species hosts itself inside trees and plants its eggs inside the bark. In late spring or early summer, adult bugs will emerge from the bark and begin to feed on the tree. Meanwhile, the larva begins to feed on the cambium, the inner bark, gradually killing the entire tree.

Kasey Krouse, the City’s Urban Forester, recommends that homeowners who suspect their ash trees are diseased contact local arborists for further assistance, since there are many dynamics to consider before treating it with the appropriate chemical.

"If you have an ash tree, you may not see the symptoms of the disease, but it is important to get the tree treated promptly if you are serious about saving it,” Krouse advises.

To find local arborists near you, visit www.treesaregood.org. Have questions or concerns? Contact Krouse at 865-215-6113.