The Jerome Fire Department is hosting a workshop for paradise tree control for all interested Jerome Businesses, homeowners and citizens.  The Free workshop will be held upstairs at the Jerome Fire Department beginning at 5 pm.

This informative workshop feature our Assistant Fire Chief Bill Volk, professional herbicide applicator Bill Neill and Anna Schrenk, Friends of the Verde River Greenway Program Director.

About Paradise Trees:
Like cancer, a noxious imported tree called Ailanthus or Chinese Tree of Heaven has invaded the Jerome community for years. Also called “stink tree” in the eastern United States and “Ailanthus altissima” by biologists, we often refer to them as “the trees from Hell.”

The tree does provide summer shade and holds the poor soil while thriving, yet has several objectionable qualities:

• The tree foliage is not palatable to insects and wildlife, so does not contribute to the natural food chain.
• Established trees send out long lateral roots that can sprout new trunks, and these roots emit poisons that kill and displace neighboring native trees and shrubs.
• Ailanthus roots can also invade and damage sewer lines and septic tanks, and the root suckers can sprout through asphalt, sidewalks and into structures.
• Simple cutting or girdling of tree trunks usually causes root suckers to sprout prolifically; the tree is difficult to control without herbicide.
• Dead trees pose a serious fall hazard to electrical lines, houses and vehicles.
• Several of these dead trees in Jerome and the Gulch area are 20 feet and taller, contributing to dangerous fire conditions.

Control Methods:

• Mechanical – Chain Saws
• Manual – Digging and removing stumps and seedlings.  Care should be taken to remove the entire plant, including the roots, to avoid the re-growth through sprouting.
• Chemical – Herbicides

Usually a combination of control methods work best.  However, it is very difficult to control without herbicides.  A single female tree can produce over 300,000 seeds each year and this affects your neighbors.

About our Presenters:

Bill Volk – Assistant Fire Chief, Firefighter III, Rope Rescue and Hazmat Certified.

Bill Neill – Professional herbicide applicator in California
Bill is a professional herbicide applicator in California, with 33 years of experience at controlling invasive weeds and non-native trees in wildland areas. Starting in 1983, he organized volunteer work parties to remove tamarisk from isolated springs and riparian areas of the California desert. Then 16 years ago, he commercialized his avocation and now works to control other exotics — Arundo, Ailanthus (paradise trees), castor bean, palm trees, pepper trees, perennial pepperweed, passion vine, etc. – in coastal watersheds of Los Angeles County and vicinity. He is active with two Weed Management Areas and have served as an instructor at training classes sponsored by the California Invasive Plant Council and California Department Transportation.

Bill has worked on public land for most of his career, in recent years he has treated Ailanthus/Chinese tree of heaven (paradise trees) on private property in several areas of Los Angeles County.

Anna Schrenk – Friends of the Verde River Greenway – Program Director
Anna started as the VWRC Program Coordinator in February 2012. She comes to us with over fifteen years of experience working in the vegetation management field for the National Park Service and implementing Burned Area Emergency Response plans for several agencies within the Department of the Interior. In 1997 Anna received a degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Plant Ecology from Prescott College.
She will talk briefly about what the Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition is doing throughout the watershed to control Paradise trees.

We hope to see you at the Jerome Fire Department!