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Oswego, Illinois · Kendall County

Emerald ash borer in Kendall County: where Oswego stands

Most of Oswego’s public ash came down more than a decade ago. If there’s still an ash in your yard, here’s the local story and some gentle, practical next steps.

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How the borer got to the Fox Valley

Emerald ash borer was first found in Illinois on June 9, 2006, in two ash trees in "The Windings" subdivision near Lily Lake in Kane County, our neighbor to the north (Illinois Dept. of Agriculture). It first showed up in Kendall County in 2009, according to the Village's public works director at the time (Oswego Patch).

The beetle itself does little harm. Its larvae feed under the bark and cut off the tree's water and nutrients, and Extension says ash here have no natural defenses, so EAB kills otherwise healthy trees (U of I Extension).

What Oswego did with its parkway ash

By June 2012 the Village had taken down about 650 ash trees in the public right-of-way and expected to reach about 1,000 by the end of that year. The replacements were mainly maples and oaks, paid for with the Village's share of recycling proceeds. At the time, Kendall was one of 23 Illinois counties under a state quarantine on moving ash wood (Oswego Patch).

The same article made a point that still holds: the Village only removes and replaces trees on public property. Ash on private land belongs to the homeowner or the property owners' association (same source). The Village's tree page says the same today about private trees (Village of Oswego).

Where things stand now

  • No federal quarantine. USDA APHIS ended its domestic EAB quarantine on Jan. 14, 2021 (USDA APHIS).
  • A more varied forest. The Village's 2024 forestry plan counted 19,457 Village-owned trees across 106 species, with maples at 42%, and aims to reduce over-represented species (Shaw Local). That’s the lesson of the ash, learned the hard way.
  • Still a live topic. At an October 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, a resident raised concerns about parkway trees removed for EAB damage that hadn't been replaced, and about the draft budget spending more on removals and less on new trees. The finance director said two slides in the budget presentation address trees (WSPY). The Village's next Community Coffee on finances is Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 to 11 a.m. at Village Hall (same source).

Your own ash: a calm checklist

  1. Look up. Early signs are thinning and dieback starting at the top of the tree, then sprouts low on the trunk, woodpecker damage, bark cracks over S-shaped tunnels, and D-shaped exit holes (Morton Arboretum).
  2. Be realistic about odds. Where EAB has been around a while, fewer than 1% of untreated ash typically survive (Extension). The Arboretum says infested trees may die within two to four years (Morton Arboretum).
  3. Treat only a good candidate. Extension says recovery is likely if a tree still has 70% or more of its canopy, and treatments last one to three years, so they're repeated (Extension). The Illinois Department of Agriculture suggests focusing on healthy, desirable ash with no signs of infestation, checking local ordinances with public works first, and asking a certified arborist whether your tree is a good candidate (IDOA).
  4. Otherwise, plan the removal. Dead ash turns brittle. Our ash tree removal page covers why, and what Illinois law lets a village do about an infested private ash.
  5. Keep the wood local. The Arboretum's advice is simple: avoid moving firewood (Morton Arboretum). Ask the crew to chip it or leave it cut for your own fire pit.

Parkway ash and replanting

If the ash in question is in the parkway, it's the Village's tree. Call Public Works at 630-554-3242. Once a parkway tree comes out, you can join the 50/50 program: you pay half the cost of the new tree, and there's no charge for the removal, the stump grinding or the planting (Village of Oswego). Our guide to the 50/50 program walks through it. For a yard ash, see tree removal in Oswego.

Where this came from

Every page below was opened and read on Nov. 4, 2026. Programs change, so check the Village or Township before you plan around a date.

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Questions

Quick answers

When did emerald ash borer reach Kendall County?
In 2009, according to the Village of Oswego’s public works director, quoted in 2012.
Will the Village remove the ash tree in my backyard?
No. The Village only handles trees on public property; private ash are the owner’s or HOA’s responsibility.
Is my ash worth treating?
U of I Extension says recovery is likely if it still has 70% or more of its canopy. Have a certified arborist look first.
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