2 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

It was a cold February morn I had to see it;

I bundled up and went out.

It looked like snow falling down; 

it was the limbs of the trees I grew up with,

falling to the ground...

Lyrics from opening stanza of “Falling to the Ground,”

by singer-songwriter and Ravenswood resident Victoria Deloria 
Chicago vs. Asian Longhorn Beetle:

A Portrait of Success

A case study by Judy Antipin and Thomas Dilley
4 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Chicago vs. The Asian 

Longhorned Beetle:

A Portrait of Success

The principal objective in conducting and publishing this case study of the Asian longhorned beetle 

(ALB) infestation in Chicago is to offer State and 

local government officials and interested community 

members a blueprint for recognizing and effectively 

dealing with invasive/exotic insect pest emergencies. The experience of the past decade shows that 

appearances of these unwelcome and dangerous tree 

pests are on the rise. Urban and suburban forests 

have so far borne the brunt of this onslaught, but 

without diligent campaigns of detection and eradication, all of the Nation’s forests are at risk. 

Our experience with the Asian longhorned beetle 

suggested that there was a lesson we could share 

with other communities that might be confronted 

by the invasion of an exotic species, particularly 

ones threatening their trees. As international 

trade intensifies, there will be more incidents of 

exotic pests coming to North America. We’ve had 

numerous examples since the Asian longhorned 

beetle incident—most recently, the emerald ash 

borer in Michigan.

The key to our success in eliminating exotic invasive pests is early detection, and early detection depends on the cooperation and the participation of 

State and local governments, as well as the public 

and the landowners who have day-to-day interaction with the tree resource.

Kenneth Knauer

The history of invasive tree pest species in the United 

States over the past several decades has shown that 

urban and well-populated suburban areas are at the 

highest risk for invasive tree pest emergencies, and 

that all communities meeting this profile should be 

prepared to deal with such an event. 

Our job in the Federal 

Government, with our 

cooperators in the State 

Departments of Agriculture 

and Forestry, is to get 

information into the hands of 

the public, so that they will 

know what they’re looking 

for, why they’re looking for 

it, and what could happen if 

we don’t find it.

Kenneth Knauer, Ph.D.,

USDA Forest Service 

Northeastern Area, State & 

Private Forestry, Assistant 

Director for Forest Health and 

Economics
A Portrait of Success | 5

Several factors make these areas more at risk than 

rural or dense woodland areas:

1. Most invasive/exotic pests arrive in this country as “hitchhikers” on imported goods or their 

packaging. Businesses that import such goods are 

most likely to be located in more populated areas.

2. The chances of spreading the pest 

from one area to another are greater 

in urban areas than in dense forest land because 

of greater possibility of human intervention (for 

example, the unintentional transport of infested 

wood from one area to another in vehicles, both 

for commercial and personal use).

3. Trees in more populated areas are subject to 

greater environmental stress to begin with, making them easier prey for exotic insects and more 

likely to succumb to damage.

The losses from tree pests are both monetary 

and environmental. An article published by the 

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in 2001 estimated that the ALB “has 

the potential to damage such industries as lumber, 

maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit, and tourism 

accumulating over $41 billion in losses.” In 1999, 

invasive or nonindigenous tree pest species were 

already estimated to cost the United States $2.1 

billion a year (Pimentel, Lach, et al. 1999).

The economic threat to industries that depend on 

healthy trees and forests is evident, but some of the 

biggest environmental and financial impact has been 

in urban and suburban interface areas. In such areas 

already impacted by ALB, the cost in quality of life 

to residents has been tangible.

In 1998, Gina Bader, a resident of the Ravenswood 

section of Chicago, took photographs documenting the cutting of a number of ALB-infested trees 

on the streets surrounding her home. Many of the 

trees, Bader noted, had been planted to replace trees 

killed by the Dutch elm disease epidemic nearly 50 

years ago.
The tree in front of her home, a converted threeunit apartment building, had grown to more than 

three stories in height during that time period, she 

remembered, only to be felled by the ALB.

Actually in our neighborhood we could tell because 

it was much sunnier. I live on the first floor but 

we noticed the difference without several trees that 

were in the front of the building. And I’m sure 

the people on the third floor experienced a lot more 

heat.

It was actually noisier because I don’t live too far 

from the elevated (el) train and we could hear 

the train more often because the trees blocked the 

sound of the train going by. So it has definitely 

affected us in a physical way. And in the summertime when it’s really hot, and you want to look for 

a shady parking space, they are not as available on 

our streets anymore. 

All the birds and the squirrels in the trees were 

affected. And so it was really powerful to see how 

much the trees play an important role. I mean I 

knew that, of course, but to actually feel it in my 

life happening was really powerful and moving.

Bader also noted that the trees lost to ALB have 

been replaced, with the help of local, State, and 

Federal authorities. That restoration program has 

gone a long way toward helping the community feel 

whole again, she added, a statement echoed by others interviewed for this study.

Chicago was the second city in the country to experience an ALB infestation. In 1996, the insect was 

found devouring trees in Brooklyn, NY, and in the 

2 years before the Chicago discovery, ALB infestations were discovered in three of the five New York 

City boroughs, and in Nassau and Suffolk counties 

on Long Island, NY. For a variety of reasons, combating ALB in New York has proven more difficult 

than in Chicago, acknowledges Christine Markham,

USDA APHIS National ALB Program Director.

In February of 1999, workers 

chopped down this large 

ALB-infested tree in front of 

the Ravenswood home where 

Gina Bader lived 

Photo by Gina Bader

Gina Bader looking at leaves 

on the tree that replaced the 

one lost to ALB

6 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 7

Part of the advantage that Chicago had was 

that we knew more about the insect and how to 

approach it. It was 2 years after the discovery of 

ALB in the United States that the exotic pest was 

detected in Chicago. During those 2 years, Federal 

agencies learned more about the biology of the 

ALB, and developed several methods of control.

Right from the very beginning the Chicago people 

organized themselves, and they were a united front 

with all the entities that were a part of the program. The attitude was “This is our approach, this 

is our goal, we’re going to eradicate this pest from 

our city.” I believe that has been the key to the success of the program in Illinois.

The discovery of the Chicago infestation also 

brought the ALB, and the issue of invasive pests in 

general, into the national spotlight. With Chicago 

under attack, the beetle was no longer simply an isolated East Coast problem.

The New York infestation in 1996 was probably more localized or regional in nature; it just 

hadn’t really turned into a national issue. As 

soon as ALB showed up in Chicago, now we have 

two sites in two different parts of the country, 

now it began to hit the headlines—this was not a 

New York City problem or an East Coast problem—we’re looking at a problem that’s potentially 

national in scope, and that really did invigorate 

the media to pay attention, as well as the Federal 

agencies, too.

Noel Schneeberger,

USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry,

Program Coordinator for Forest Health and Economics

Noel Schneeberger
8 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

History of ALB in Chicago

When the Asian longhorned beetle first appeared 

in Chicago in 1998, the certified arborists in our 

Department of Streets and Sanitation’s Bureau 

of Forestry were only too well aware of the devastation this insidious pest had wrought on the urban 

forests in New York. They knew that immediate 

response was necessary and they knew they would 

need to work with sister agencies on both the State 

and Federal level to combat and neutralize the 

infestation. And, they knew they could expect my 

total support.

Mayor Richard M. Daley

City of Chicago

Around the time of the 1998 July 4th holiday weekend, Barry Albach accepted some firewood from 

fellow Skokie Park District worker Gary Luka. Luka, 

who lived in the Ravenswood section of Chicago, 

had cut the branches from a tree that hung over his 

swimming pool. Albach put the logs in the back of 

his camper truck and forgot about them until a few 

days later, when he noticed a strange beetle crawling 

on the driver’s sideview mirror. When he opened the 

back of his truck, several other beetles were flying 

around the pile of wood. “Working in the park,” 

said Albach, “I’ve seen lots of bugs but I never saw 

this one before, so I did an Internet search and 

punched ‘beetle’ into the search engine.” 

The first hit to show up was a picture of the ALB, 

along with a pest alert. “It still didn’t dawn on me 

that it was that serious but as I read further it said 

to call the Department of Agriculture. They were a 

little skeptical of me but as we talked further about 

what I found, they were prompted to come out and 

take a look at it for themselves and that brought us 

to where we are today.”

Several days later, on July 13, Federal officials confirmed that the insects from the load of firewood 

were indeed ALBs. Federal, State, and local officials 

wasted little time. Over the next few days, they beThe estimated value 

of Chicago tree 

resources at risk from 

ALB is $1.2 billion. 

This represents 

2,500,000 trees or 

61 percent of the 

city’s tree canopy. 

(Nowak et al. 2001)

Barry Albach
A Portrait of Success | 9

gan surveys of the Ravenswood neighborhood to 

discover how many trees had been affected. 

Stan Smith, then-manager of the Invasive Pest Program for the Illinois Department of Agriculture, was 

one of the first on the scene.

We learned about the beetle first thing on a Monday morning. Ken Kruse, the [APHIS PPQ] 

State Plant Health Director, gave me a call and 

said, “I think we’ve got a problem—they think 

they’ve found ALB in parts of Chicago.” So we 

made plans to meet at the site and in the meantime I’d called the Bureau of Forestry and Streets 

and Sanitation in Chicago and asked them to 

meet us out there. At the same time we had started 

getting all those State inspectors sent out to the location so that we could start a survey immediately 

if in fact we did have to, and unfortunately we 

found we needed a survey within a couple hours 

after arriving at the scene.

Joe McCarthy, a forester for the city of Chicago, also 

first heard about the beetle that Monday. “I came 

into work that morning about my normal time, 

which was 8:30. I saw John Low, another senior city 

forester, running out the door stating that he’s got 

to meet Stan Smith from the State of Illinois and a 

rep from the USDA out somewhere in the Ravenswood community to inspect a tree that may be infested with the ALB.” 

At first, McCarthy assumed it would be a false alarm. 

“Prior to that we had just heard a little bit about ALB 

up in New York, but it was at that time thousands 

of miles away and so my first thought was kind of a 

chuckling on a ‘how could that be.’ I didn’t really 

think much more about it.”

It didn’t take long for him to find out that ALB in 

Chicago was indeed a reality. “As we found out later 

that day, there was a tree that was riddled with exit 

holes and then we immediately put together a team 

to go out on Tuesday, and we divided the area into 

quadrants for the city, State, and Federal people to 

go out and begin radiating out from there and we 

began our survey that week, and then meeting in the 

Joe McCarthy
10 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

afternoon to kind of see where we were at. So that’s 

what I recall of the first few days.” McCarthy went 

on to become the city’s point person for the ALB 

program.

Joe Schafer, a veteran of the USDA APHIS, became 

the project manager for that agency’s Chicago ALB 

eradication program. Schafer was the cargo supervisor for USDA APHIS at O’Hare International 

Airport when ALB was discovered in Chicago. 

He missed out on the excitement of the first few 

days. “I was on vacation when they discovered the 

beetle. They found it Thursday before the Monday 

that I came back from vacation. When I came back 

to work, two vials with beetles were sitting on my 

desk.” As USDA APHIS began dealing with the 

emergency, explained Schafer, the longstanding 

relationships built up with State and local government became crucial. “Stan Smith and I had worked 

together for 30 years. I had a long relationship with 

him and most of his employees. We weren’t strangers, 

and I had done fieldwork on similar insects for 6 

years.”

“I think the existing ongoing relationships really 

helped as much as anything,” echoed Joe McCarthy. 

“Sometimes you get entrenched in bureaucracy, but 

all the agencies brought things to the table and each 

agency said ‘well, this is what I can offer.’ ”

Noel Schneeberger, Forest Health Program Coordinator for the USDA Forest Service’s Northeastern 

Area, also arrived on the scene shortly after the discovery. 

I went out to Chicago very shortly after the Asian 

longhorned beetle was found, just to assess the situation, and to see how it compared with what we 

had found in New York. 

There were a lot of people heading out to Chicago 

at that time. Initially, there was just a tremendous amount of interest, and a flurry of visitors, 

high-level and mid-level, from the Federal Government, State government, and the city government. 
A Portrait of Success | 11

There really wasn’t an organization in place, but 

I would say that very quickly the Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection 

and Quarantine [USDA APHIS PPQ] people, 

who have the Federal responsibility for invasive 

insect and plant pests, and their State counterpart with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 

and the city of Chicago, coalesced very quickly to 

develop a response to it, and we were part of the 

package. We brought in an entomologist from our 

St. Paul office to interface and interact with the 

other Federal people and State people, and it just 

seemed to organize itself very quickly.

In terms of bringing the public on board in support 

of this emergency effort, all of the people involved 

pointed to the solid support voiced by Chicago 

Mayor Richard Daley as a turning point.

The mayor from day one came out and in a press 

conference pointed to all the experts behind him 

saying, “we’re looking to them and we’re willing 

to provide whatever we can provide to help eradicate this pest at no cost to citizens.” That meant 

that when we had to take trees down on private 

property or public property, we would do that and 

then later on we would get restoration [for property owners]. . . we were going to get the problem 

solved first and then deal with whatever the cost 

was going to be later.... It assured the public that 

the mayor was behind it and was willing to do 

whatever it took to solve the problem at minimal 

cost to the homeowners. 

Joe McCarthy, 

City of Chicago

The city of Chicago and particularly the mayor 

made Asian longhorned beetle a city priority. If 

you use the military term for it, they call it a command priority. It went to the top of the mayor’s 

agenda, and that type of priority just filtered 

down to every city agency and ALB became a top 

priority in the city.

Noel Schneeberger,

USDA Forest Service
Mayor Daley was brilliant. He explained what 

was known about the situation. He described the 

insect and estimated amount of affected trees. He 

asked for the community’s support in protecting 

the Nation’s forests. He asked for the community’s 

support for the eradication efforts. He explained 

that the only known treatment was to remove 

and chip the infested trees but that no homeowner 

would bear the cost of the removal or replanting of 

trees.

Gina Childs,

Urban Forester, USDA Forest Service 

Mayor Daley was joined at the press conference by 

then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman 

and then-Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun. The 

presence of these high-ranking officials impressed 

on the public the danger posed by the ALB, and 

the determination of the city of Chicago, the State 

of Illinois, and the Federal Government to address 

this invasive pest emergency in the most decisive way 

possible. 

On behalf of the people of the city of Chicago, I’d 

like to welcome the Secretary of Agriculture and 

thank him for taking time to come out to the 

city to personally investigate the area affected by 

the Asian longhorned beetle. 

I just want to compliment the fine professionalism 

that I have seen, that really reaffirms our commitment as a city and a Nation in supporting 

this wonderful agency and the importance of our 

environment....They have done a tremendous job. 

Again we’re asking the Federal Government to 

help us with funding to continue this program 

and to survey the trees, the removal, and especially 

the replanting and landscaping of this wonderful 

community next spring. 

Homeowners should also know that not only 

parkway trees but trees in the back yards and 

on private property will be removed at no cost to 

them. The potential destruction by the dangerous 

Chicago Mayor 

Richard Daley

12 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 13

pests goes far beyond Chicago, and that’s why these 

agencies are deeply involved in this. If unchecked 

they could spread throughout the region.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley

at first press conference on ALB

One of those standing on the podium with the 

mayor was Gina Childs, at that time stationed in 

Chicago as an urban forester with the USDA Forest 

Service.

This press conference was picked up everywhere. It 

was sort of like the “shot heard round the world.” 

It was on CNN—I had friends in Europe who saw 

me standing behind the mayor. It was truly incredible. “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” 

and several other news programs picked up the 

news and did followup stories. The Chicago Sun 

Times and the Chicago Tribune covered ALB 

extensively; it was front-page news for months.

 

Chicago Sun Times reporter Brenda Warner Rotzoll 

began covering ALB a few days after the mayor’s 

first press conference, when a beetle was found in 

one of the Northside neighborhoods she was covering. Rotzoll didn’t realize at that point how big 

a part of her professional life the beetle would become. “There’s probably no other reporter on the 

Earth that knows more about this bug than me,” 

said Rotzoll, who has continued to cover the ALB 

eradication effort in Chicago since July of 1998. 

“Everybody was very open about what was happening,” she remembered of those first days, “and they 

were all saying how fortunate it was that we were 

the second place to have this discovered. There was 

already some experience to build on.”

Reporter Jeremy Manier from the Chicago Tribune

became the lead ALB reporter for that paper, but 

found out about the beetle when a fellow Tribune

reporter wrote the first article on the discovery. He 

also praised the media interaction with the government’s ALB team.
14 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

My initial reaction was a mix of amusement, 

excitement, and alarm. Amusement because it 

seemed hardly possible that all this fuss could be 

raised about a little bug; excitement to be on a big 

story about a species rarely seen in the U.S.; and 

alarm once I realized how dangerous the beetle 

could be to trees here.

The media interaction by USDA was excellent. I 

was allowed to tag along with USDA officials like 

Joe Schafer as they did their work in the field. In 

addition to giving us a good story, the access served 

the USDA’s interests because it showed they were 

actively responding to the problem. I wish more 

government information were handled in this way.

 

The team made certain to inform the public right 

from the beginning. “We held several public meetings,” explained Joe Schafer. “At the first public 

meeting there were 600-plus people, with the press, 

there. There were people from the USDA Forest 

Service, Illinois Department of Agriculture, USDA 

APHIS PPQ, headquarters on down to my level.” 

At the meeting, experts from the USDA Forest 

Service and USDA APHIS PPQ in New York presented—through discussion and a well-prepared 

slide show—what had been learned up to that point 

about the beetle and how to eradicate it. “Then we 

had what they call a ‘march to the microphone’ for 2 

hours,” he added, where the public was able to voice 

any questions and concerns they had. “We knew we 

had a problem,” Schafer added. “We got good press, 

we were in all the newspapers and on TV, and the 

mayor endorsed us as the experts, and we were able 

to advise him. The mayor is known in Chicago as 

the tree mayor. He endorsed the program and it just 

exploded off the charts.” 

Gina Childs—involved in community outreach from 

the beginning—recalled that the Ravenswood neighborhood reacted with distress and concern at the 

public meetings and on the street. 

Shortly after the press conference, the mayor and 

the alderman hosted a community meeting at a 

gym in the Ravenswood neighborhood. Over 700 
A Portrait of Success | 15

people from the community showed up. There was 

a lot of expression of grief over the tragedy. Also a 

feeling of wanting to take action, to be a part of 

the solution, of wanting to “do something and organize.” There was also a good deal of worry over 

the “tourists” that were visiting Ravenswood and 

picking up bugs, and what about if beetles were 

falling into convertibles or were being carried on 

the el [elevated commuter train]. There was a 

general sense that they did not want to see this bug 

spread outside of the neighborhood. 

The neighborhood was amazing. No matter what 

time of day or evening I visited Ravenswood, folks 

were out and about looking at trees and talking 

to the scientists and government officials. Some 

people were crying. One day as I was walking 

around I heard a kid say excitedly, “Hey, there is 

one of the beetle guys!” (Referring to Stan Smith 

who was also checking out trees in the neighborhood). The beetles were literally raining out of the 

trees. You did not have to look hard to find one on 

the sidewalk, on the trees, or squished on the road. 

 

The mayor’s statements were followed up with decisive action by the city, added Childs. 

By Saturday, the mayor asked his Department of 

Streets and Sanitation to go door to door in the 

Ravenswood neighborhood explaining about ALB 

and that infested trees would need to be removed. 

Every homeowner received literature as well as 

personal contact and literature was left for those 

who were not home. ALB “wanted” posters were 

posted on trees on each block. Even the Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation was knocking on 

doors.

Much of the initial efforts were aimed at discovering 

the extent of the infestation and formulating a plan 

to contain the damage and stop the spread. But officials also wanted to know how the beetle first arrived 

in the Ravenswood area. This information could be 

crucial to preventing or minimizing other infestations, and in learning more about the behavior of 

the insect. Knowing that ALB had probably traveled 
to this country on packing material from China, officials began checking local businesses that may have 

imported such goods. One business was located on 

the corner of Montrose and Ravenswood Streets. In 

a 1999 interview for a USDA Forest Service research 

study (Riddell and Pollack 1999), the vice president 

of the metal parts manufacturing company described 

his first encounter with Federal officials.

One day these guys walk in the door. They flash 

these badges and say they’re from U.S. Customs. 

They say “The first thing we want you to know is 

you’re not in trouble.” Then they asked me if [my 

business] imported any parts from China. “Sure,” 

I told them, “I import a lot of castings from China.

 

Then [the vice president] took the officials out back 

where they could see the crates the castings were 

shipped in. After careful inspection, the authorities found crates with “exit holes,” the dime-shaped 

holes that adult beetles make when they chew their 

way out from the inside of a tree. Though the presence of exit holes didn’t mean beetles had definitely 

been shipped from China inside the crates, it was 

clear the wood had been infested at some point. It 

was a logical leap to make that this was how the 

beetle arrived in Ravenswood.

Excerpt from “Views on the Asian Longhorned Beetle 

Infestation in Chicago”

Bucket truck workers check 

the tops of street trees for 

signs of ALB

16 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 17

One of the most daunting initial problems was finding enough knowledgeable people to survey for 

ALB outside of the immediate core area. Stan Smith 

was a chair of the National Plant Board at that time, 

giving him contacts with experienced people in other States as well as internationally. At a plant board 

meeting a couple of weeks after the discovery of the 

beetle, Smith asked for survey volunteers, offering to 

pay expenses. Within short order, recalls Joe Schafer, 

State agriculture staff from “most of the Northwest 

and part of the Northeast” were being trained on 

how to survey for ALB. “At this time,’’ he noted, 

“all of the trees were still standing with beetles running up and down. So we had one of the larger 

training areas in the world, outside of China.”

As the program began to take shape, the team 

needed to hire survey and inspection workers. Schafer remembered that the hiring criteria that proved 

most successful was based more on the desire to 

work and a willingness think outside of the box than 

experience with invasive pests or survey work.

Between July and the end of 1998, survey teams 

found about 450 infested trees. The survey began 

on the ground, with workers using the naked eye 

and binoculars to spot exit holes, beetles, and other 

damage. The USDA Forest Service then brought 

in a bucket truck to do aerial surveys. “They just 

showed us in a matter of minutes how many trees 

we missed from the ground, and so we went to using a bucket truck survey,’’ recalled Schafer.

“Ground survey was good in the initial infestation 

because there was a lot of stuff to see,” explained 

Stan Smith. “As soon as we started eliminating those 

first trees, the ground guys just couldn’t see every 

crack and crevice.” While bucket trucks worked on 

street trees that were accessible from public roads, 

the trucks were not usable on private property. 

Then, according to Smith, USDA Forest Service 

personnel thought of using their smokejumpers

in the off-season as tree climbers. “The next thing 

we know, we’ve got Forest Service smokejumpers 

coming from everywhere. They were the lifesavers. 
Sometimes they’re scary to watch when they’re up 

in those trees, but they do the job for us.” Between 

the bucket trucks and the tree climbers, the surveyors were able to double the number of infested trees 

identified before the beetles began to emerge again 

in the late spring of 1999. Crews of USDA Forest 

Service and contract climbers now work throughout 

the year doing inspections in both Chicago and New 

York.

In 1999, I was one of the first three people to come 

to Chicago as a climber to inspect the trees for 

Asian longhorned beetle damage. . . . When we 

first got here we noticed that the beetle did quite 

a bit of damage to the trees. It made our job easy 

at first to find the beetle and the infested trees. 

That was kind of in the early stages. I went back 

to the fire season in the summer, and came back 

to Chicago with more smokejumpers. I was one of 

the initial people to train smokejumpers for climbing, specifically for climbing hardwood trees. Last 

I heard we had climbed more than 170,000 trees 

with no accidents. We have a real good safety record.

What I think made that job easy was probably the 

city and Mayor Daley getting hold of the media, 

and the three different agencies, the State of Illinois, USDA APHIS, and the USDA Forest 

Service working together. They really got the word 

out to the homeowners to let us do our job and that 

made it a lot easier.

Brian Kopke, 

USDA Forest Service smokejumper

Smokejumper Nancy Floyd from Winthrop, WA, 

worked both in New York and Chicago and was able 

to compare the two experiences.

My first climbing detail was in New York, and 

after coming here, Chicago is where I prefer to be, 

partly because of the public awareness, and the 

people here are very friendly. They’re very much 

informed about what’s going on and because of 

that we don’t encounter a lot of opposition to what 

we’re doing. 

A USDA Forest Service tree 

climber checks trees for ALB 

in a Chicago neighborhood

18 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 19

In New York, I don’t think the public relations has 

been quite as good and a lot of people don’t know 

what we’re doing, and because of that they’re very 

suspicious. It can be really difficult to get in different areas to climb. It’s a daily battle to get in some 

of those yards in New York.

 

The first infested trees were not removed until February of 1999. “We were basically told to wait. If we 

cut them early it would just create a spread of the 

beetle,” recalls Schafer. “We waited until January, 

but we had a record snowfall, so that pushed it up 

to February. We cut 450 street trees in a matter of 

days. There was just a massive cutdown.”

According to Dennis Haugen, a USDA Forest Service entomologist, the decision to leave the trees 

standing until cold weather that first year was based 

on a lack of knowledge about the insect’s flight ability and a fear of spreading the infestation.

From July 1998 until January 1999, the infested 

trees were left standing due to the fear that cutting them would increase the ALB spread in that 

year. With hindsight and more research on ALB 

flight and host-seeking behavior, a different decision would probably be made today. But tough 

decisions had to be made with limited information 

in the first couple of years. 

For Ravenswood residents and program staff alike, 

the removal of several hundred trees within a short 

period of time was difficult to bear. 

The day the trees came down was still an awful 

day. It was horribly damp and cold and drizzly. 

The city was so incredibly efficient at getting all 

the cars to park somewhere else and worked methodically to remove all the infested street trees. 

The Street and Sanitation crews were out in full 

force and were incredibly efficient. It seemed like 

in no time at all the trees were gone. There were 

clusters of people everywhere watching—under 

porches, from windows, under umbrellas. There 

Surveys continued year round, 

even in the cold and snow

Nancy Floyd, one of the Forest 

Service smokejumpers
were hordes of schoolchildren watching from a 

distance. And there were all the scientists, running around with their dollies full of wood pieces, 

collecting samples, etc. All the scientists were great. 

They always took the time to explain to folks what 

was happening and what they were doing

Gina Childs, 

USDA Forest Service

Many members of the Ravenswood community 

participated in activities that gave them an 

opportunity to “say goodbye” to the trees.

I don’t know who put the poems on the trees, but 

they were mostly on my block so I always thought 

it was my neighbors. The notes were placed on the 

trees the night before they were to come down. The 

trees fell February 3, 1998. My block was a tight 

knit group of family and friends. Everyone was 

either related or knew each other for years. 

I remember the days leading up to the take down 

when you’d come home to see if the tree on your 

property was marked either in green or purple 

paint ringed around the base. Then you knew you 

were going to lose that particular tree. 

Victoria Delorio, 

Ravenswood resident, singer-songwriter

Ravenswood residents found 

a variety of ways to express 

their sorrow over the tree loss

Photo by Victoria Deloria

One of many large trees cut 

down in the Ravenswood 

neighborhood of Chicago in 

February of 1999

Photo by Victoria Deloria

20 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 21

Even with all the efforts to prepare beforehand, the cutdown had a powerful emotional impact on community 

residents.Gina Bader was asked by a group called Tree 

Keepers to document the cutting in her neighborhood 

with photographs. “The day before they did the cutting, I walked around my neighborhood, saying goodbye to the trees as they were marked.” The next day 

Bader got up early and went out: 

I had my little camera and they started real early 

in the morning. I was able to take all those photographs because I had done a lot of the emotional 

work the day before. I was able to just focus on 

what was happening the actual day of the cutting. There were two trees on my street that I was 

really attached to. One was an elm tree that was 

maybe 50 years old. But it was amazing—within 

minutes they cut that tree down and it was really 

powerful—the sound of it falling across the street 

and just how long and how much space it took up. 

It just crashed. It was just really sad . . . they cut 

wedges on each side of it and roped it and pulled it 

down and it was gone. And it was very powerful 

to witness all of that. Actually we saw that there 

were beetle exit holes—inside the tree there was a 

lot of activity. It was a very sad day. 

One of many poems 

written by residents of the 

Ravenswood area to honor 

their ALB stricken trees
We went to other streets that had larger trees. . . . 

It was like a war zone, trucks everywhere, people 

everywhere, people clutching each other, looking 

at the trees. It was like family members being destroyed. People were just gathering in little groups 

watching this thing happening, huge trees just 

one after another were just being cut down and 

branches and the sound of trees being chewed up 

in whatever they call that machine . . . and it was 

a really cold, slightly windy, sort of a lightly rainy 

day . . . and it was just really hard to see all of 

that happening.

 

Community resident and singer-songwriter Victoria 

Deloria also acted as an observer that day.

The city was incredibly fast and efficient and was 

remarkable in the removal. I am still amazed 

by how specifically they worked and how swiftly it 

was done. I woke up to the sound of chain saws, 

grabbed my camera, and ran outside to witness it. 

It was a dreary day marked with the thundering 

crashes of trees hitting pavement, the crackling of 

A street in the Ravenswood 

neighborhood before tree 

removal and after

22 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 23

branches, the buzz of chain saws, and the crunching of wood chippers. There were people like me, 

captivated by what they saw, watching for the 

entire day. When the men moved out at the end 

of the day, there was very little they left behind. I 

walked numbly around the few now-vacant blocks 

and made my way back home. It didn’t hit until 

the next morning when I walked outside to the 

brightness and breeziness of my neighborhood.

Children and teachers watch 

from the steps of a church 

school as ALB-infested trees 

are removed from their 

Ravenswood neighborhood 

Photo by Victoria Deloria
Role of the Ravenswood 

Community

Although the ALB was an environmental disaster, 

community residents, elected officials, and religious 

leaders combined to turn the tragedy into an opportunity to bring the community closer together.

Alderman Gene Schulter represents the residents of 

Ravenswood, and he has had a firsthand perspective 

on the impact of the infestation on his constituents. 

We had no idea how devastating it would be to 

our community when we lost blocks of trees in an 

area of the city of Chicago that is known for its 

tree population. So it was a very emotional thing, 

because our neighborhood was made up of residents 

who had planted these trees in the first place and 

had nurtured them over the years and we watched 

families growing them over the years.

We had to learn to work together right from the 

very beginning. And I think 4 years later we’ve 

learned just how important that approach was—

that we felt very seriously that we had acted as a 

team of professionals as well as people concerned 

about our tree population. The local residents 

knew how important it was to have a line of communication with all layers of government to cut 

through the bureaucracy to work on this challenge.

 

Before an ALB headquarters was established, State 

Representative Larry McKeon offered working space 

and equipment in his district office, which was at the 

epicenter of the Ravenswood infestation. McKeon 

commented both on the impact of the tree removal 

and the cooperation between the public and private 

sector that helped bring about the positive outcome.

We were involved very early on with the crisis as we 

learned of the existence of the beetles and the extent 

to which they had infested the area. The immediState Rep. Larry McKeon ate surrounding area of this district was quite 

Chicago Alderman 

Gene Schulter

24 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 25

devastated by the loss of trees, families, children, 

churches, and so forth. All were quite impacted 

and emotionally distraught over the impact it had 

on the community. 

 

It was truly a private public partnership working 

together with all levels of government working together hand in hand cooperatively, collaboratively 

without conflict, all working toward a common 

goal to rid the neighborhood of this pest and restore the neighborhood to a reasonable semblance 

of what it was before the Asian longhorned beetle 

infested our trees.
The Official ALB Team

The availability of public resources, a strong public 

outreach campaign, and the use of a single contact 

number contributed to the strongly positive response of Chicago residents.

One important thing in dealing with citizens 

was that we had an ALB office, as we do to this 

day with a central number to call: 74-BEETLE. 

So with door hangers and ads in the paper, people 

knew where to call. Operators knew the number to 

direct them. After hours, they direct those calls to 

me, if a caller thinks they’ve got an actual beetle 

sighting. So, round the clock, citizens have access to 

a representative from the beetle office. But people 

in general responded, since they did have a number. If we found an infested tree and we made 

contact with the homeowner, we told them what 

the process was and held their hands through the 

removal process and the replanting process, so that 

rather than a faceless bureaucracy, they knew who 

to contact.

Joe McCarthy, 

City of Chicago

The central ALB office, with all the government 

agencies working as a team, was crucial to Chicago’s 

success.

The other factors that have played into a successful 

program in Chicago is the integration of the Federal, State, and city officials—the technical people 

who plan and are now carrying out the program. 

It’s truly designed and set up as handling an 

incident, and I can walk into the ALB office in 

Chicago, and it’s a mix of city, State, and Federal 

officials, and you don’t know who’s who. They’re 

all working very well together, they all seem very 

well integrated, there’s not a barrier, either physical or otherwise between the city, the State, or the 

Federal people. They’re just all working as one, 

they all have a certain job to do, and the communication flow between everyone is very open.

Noel Schneeberger,

USDA Forest Service 

Members of the Chicago 

ALB team in the summer 

of 2003, outside the ALB 

program headquarters

26 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 27

Strategic Plan

In 1999 a 10-year plan was developed by USDA’s 

APHIS and Forest Service for the eradication of 

ALB in New York and Chicago. Cooperators included the New York and Illinois Departments of Agriculture, the New York City Department of Parks and 

Recreation, and the Chicago Department of Streets 

and Sanitation.

The plan outlined the following stages: phase-in, 

delimitation, and containment; suppression and 

control; deregulation; and eradication. Eradication 

was projected for Chicago in 2008 and New York in 

2009. Plan activities outlined below are for Chicago 

only.

1. Phase-in, Delimitation, and 

Containment: 2001–02

Survey of all host trees within a 1.5-mile radius of 

infested tree. All positive trees removed. The chemical treatment of host trees in Illinois, began in 2000, 

treating all the satellite infestations and a small portion of the Ravenswood infestation. Chemical treatments were expanded in 2001 and 2002 to an areawide treatment program. Public awareness activities 

will be heightened to help in detection.

2. Suppression and Control: 2003–05

Survey, public awareness, and regulatory activities 

continue. No further treatments are required in the 

satellite areas if no active beetle signs are discovered 

in the third year of treatment. In Illinois, 2003 was 

projected to be the last year of treatment in Addison, Kilbourn Park, Park Ridge, and Summit. Treatments in Ravenswood were expected to continue for 

a fourth year. The plan projected that 2003 would 

see the last active indication of beetle infestation.

3. Deregulation: 2002–06

Following 2 years of survey with no evidence of 

beetle presence, an outbreak area is eligible to be removed from regulations. Deregulation was projected 

for outlying infestation areas in 2002. The Ravenswood area may be deregulated in 2005. 
28 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

4. Eradication: 2005–09

Surveys will be conducted under the emergency 

response guidelines for 4 years after the last sign of 

active ALB presence was recorded in an area. Following 4 years of negative results in an outbreak 

area, ALB will be declared eradicated from the area. 

Complete eradication of ALB from Illinois is expected in 2008 and in New York in 2009.
A Portrait of Success | 29

2000–04 Treatment

In 1999, a new chemical treatment, using the insecticide Imidacloprid, was developed by USDA 

APHIS scientists in China, tested in Illinois and 

New York, and used operationally in the spring of 

2000 in selected areas of Chicago. The protocols 

that developed from those studies resulted in the 

recommendation that all uninfested trees within 1/8 

mile of known infested trees be either treated with 

Imidacloprid or removed. The idea of removing 

those healthy trees was very unpopular with residents, especially in the areas that already had seen 

heavy tree loss.

Since laboratory tests conducted in China and the 

United States showed that Imidacloprid was effective in reducing the population of ALB, the decision 

was made to use the compound as an alternative to 

removing healthy trees. Imidacloprid also is used 

for control of insects on many agricultural products, 

in some pet flea and tick treatments, and in some 

lawncare products.

During the first year of the Imidacloprid use in 

Chicago, the treatments were administered as trunk 

injections using Mauget injectors. This process was 

very labor intensive because workers had to stay 

with the injectors as a safety precaution until they 

were empty. USDA APHIS continued to study other 

treatment methods and confirmed that soil injection 

was also a good tool for applying Imidacloprid to 

trees. Treatments by soil injections were faster and 

less expensive, making it easier to treat larger areas 

in a much shorter period of time. The two methods 

of application deliver the insecticide quickly to active tree growth areas, where the beetles feed and 

lay eggs. The precision placement of the treatments 

minimize the risk of adverse effects on the surrounding environment.

At the end of the 2003 ALB season, Chicago was 

in its fourth year of treatment and New York completed 3 years in selected areas.

USDA APHIS Researcher 

Win McLane inserts a 

Mauget injector with the

insecticide imidacloprid into 

an ALB host species tree
Quarantine 

ALB was detected in Ravenswood, Addison, and 

Summit in 1998, Kilbourn Park and Park Ridge in 

1999, and at O’Hare International Airport in 2000. 

Federal and State quarantines were instituted in all 

areas, The Ravenswood quarantine was expanded 

6.7 square miles in February 2004 to include the Oz 

Park area, where three trees with exit holes and larvae were found after a single beetle was discovered 

nearby in the fall of 2003.

To help residents and 

contractors meet quarantine 

requirements, the ALB team 

provided a tree chipper site 

where tree companies can 

bring regulated material, 

which is ground into chips, 

then taken to an incinerator 

and burned

30 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 31

Restoration

Public officials and residents perceived the restoration program as the “crown jewel” of the Chicago 

ALB program. Tree replacement focused on nonALB host trees and fostering diversity of tree species. 

Street trees and trees in public areas were replaced 

on a one-to-one basis. Where trees were removed on 

private land, property owners were offered a threetiered plan.

We kind of placed a value on trees and I think 

that was pretty important. The plan was devised to 

offer people fair compensation. This really helped 

in terms of public relations because people felt they 

were getting a fair shake. 

Joe McCarthy, 

City of Chicago

According to McCarthy, the plan provided homeowners with three options. One was a tree-replacement-only option that was based on the diameter at 

4.5 feet of the tree that was lost. The second option 

was a combination of tree and woody landscaping. 

“That got people’s creative juices flowing,” he recalled. Many people did not use the full subsidy, McCarthy adds. The third option was to not replace the 

tree at all. In that case, although the ALB-infested 

trees were removed at no charge, there was no payment for the loss of the tree. 

Many residents did not want their yard trees replaced, according to Joe Schafer. “... we had a lot 

less people who wanted trees replaced than those 

with trees that we cut. That was a surprise. In fact, 

we had a lot of solicitation to remove trees. They just 

didn’t want them.”

But in public areas, he added, every effort was made 

to replace trees and provide other greenery to beautify the stricken neighborhoods. In some cases, new 

trees were planted in areas where they had been 

removed before the ALB crisis. “Ravenswood area 

planted over 10,000 tulip bulbs in 1 day,” said Schafer. “Tree replacement started in April [of 1999], 

and by June they had all those trees replaced plus 

New trees of diverse species 

line the streets where ALBinfested trees were removed
32 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

[planted trees in] other vacant areas where the trees 

had been removed and not replaced.” 

In addition, noted Gina Childs, the restoration effort became another opportunity to foster cooperation between the government agencies, green organizations, and the residents:

We did receive $500,000 for restoration costs for 

ALB. I organized and participated in a number 

of community meetings and workshops on tree selection, tree planting, and tree care. The Morton 

Arboretum, the City of Chicago, and Openlands 

Project were critical partners in this effort. They 

were magnificent. 

Even at the earliest meetings, people in Ravenswood were very concerned about the replanting. 

They did not want spindly little trees as their 

replacement trees. The city was wonderful at 

matching our funds and guaranteeing everyone 

that there would be large replacement trees and 

the area would benefit from other landscaping improvements as well. And the community did their 

part too. Ravenswood raised over $200,000 for 

the Greening of Ravenswood for complimentary 

plantings. 

The Greening of Ravenswood presented myself 

and each of the participants with an award for 

our efforts. Pastor Karen Parsons of Pilgrim Lutheran Church was especially helpful. She offered 

her church as a meeting place for a number of the 

tree-planting workshops. In addition, the local 

library and Alderman Schulter allowed us use of 

their facilities for public meetings and workshops.

 

Several Ravenswood residents voiced their approval 

of the replanting efforts. Lucille Herndon and her 

sister Florence Kilburg were not strangers to tree 

loss. When their family first moved to the house in 

Ravenswood in 1966, all the trees on the block had 

been victims of Dutch elm disease. “The only tree 

left alive,” she described in a 1999 interview (Riddell and Pollack), “was the ash across the street.” 

The city planted a tiny maple in their front yard, and 
A Portrait of Success | 33

it eventually grew into a lovely shade tree, only to be 

lost to ALB in 1999. In a 2002 interview, Herndon 

talked about the loss and the new tree that she now 

prizes.

It was terrible to have all but three trees on this 

whole block come down. It was really devastating. 

Ours was the first one down and I think just about 

the first one replanted. We’ve got a linden. Now 

they put four of each species in a row, I understand, and then another four. I don’t know what 

the four are past this one. But I think ours is the 

prettiest in the block.

 

Resident Gina Bader is also happy with the new trees 

on her block, but did have some concerns about 

how the planting and care of the new trees was 

handled.

And then we had new trees planted and it was a 

very hot summer when they planted the trees. As 

a resident I noticed they didn’t come around that 

much or maybe enough as it was a very hot summer and they were new trees. We did as we were 

told and we lost the new tree that was planted in 

the front of the apartment. They replaced it. It 

was an oak tree, I believe, a swamp oak, and I believe you’re supposed to plant that when it’s cooler 

out and it was planted on the 4th of July weekend, 

and it was really hot, and we were concerned so 

we just started watering the trees and encouraged 

other people in the neighborhood to water it.

I guess, in hindsight, I think it would have been 

good idea for the residents to have followup meetings with the city so we could participate in helping with the trees, especially since this is our neighborhood, and we were so affected by this. We have 

an emotional connection with what happened so 

there are many people that would participate in 

the rebirthing of the new trees. 

 

So, I hope that other communities will keep that in 

mind when and if they have to deal with the problem. So, we just kept watering the trees, and the 

city kept watering but we continued to help out. 
Then, I remember there was a really wet spring 

and maybe the fall too, but the trees look really 

good now. For the most part when I walk in the 

neighborhood, they look really good. They look like 

they are taking a solid new home like they’re firmly 

planted and rooted.

For resident Victoria Deloria, the restoration was 

bittersweet.

The city did replace the trees and thoughtfully not 

with saplings, but the grandeur is gone. There are 

only a handful of neighborhoods in Chicago, in my 

eyes, that have that same lack of city feel to them. 

And I think that is due to the age of the trees that 

reside there. It’s remarkable to see the trees that 

survived the Asian longhorned beetle standing so 

hugely next to the new young trees. It’s then you 

realize just how magnificent those trees were. You 

take for granted what you have until one day it’s 

gone.

 

Ravenswood resident Victoria 

Deloria leans against one 

of the few older and still 

majestic trees on her block 

that survived the ALB 

infestation

34 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle
A Portrait of Success | 35

Status as of April 2004

In 2003, all host trees within a 1/2-mile radius of 

the Illinois ALB infestation received chemical treatment. About 92,000 trees were treated. All surveys 

were completed at the program’s protocol level. The 

satellite infestations in Addison and Summit were 

removed from regulation in February of 2004. Both 

of these areas have 2 years of negative survey. With 

an additional 2 years of negative survey, these areas 

may be declared eradicated of ALB.

A single adult ALB was spotted in Ravenswood in 

October 2003. One month later, the single tree believed to have spawned that beetle was discovered a 

block away. That brought the total of infested Ravenswood trees discovered in 2003 to 6, 12 less than 

in 2002, when Joe McCarthy of the city of Chicago 

made this comment about the program:

Four years after the fact I’d say that we’ve made 

definite progress. In this calendar year we’ve 

found 18 trees, and since July of last year (2001) 

we’ve only found 24 trees, so it’s a definite big improvement from the first years from July of 1998 

to July of 1999 when we found 847 some odd trees. 

Going from 800 plus trees to 18 trees is a definite 

improvement. We’re very pleased with that, but 

we’d like to get down to zero.
36 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Aftermath

McCarthy, like many of those involved in the Chicago ALB project, believes that the experience has 

changed the way he views his relationship to his job 

and the community. 

Working for a big city like Chicago, prior to ALB, 

my position took me to all corners of the city. It 

didn’t afford me a sense of neighborhood or small 

town. 

With ALB, we established a core area. You’d be 

walking up and down the same blocks, and people 

actually knew my name. You felt like you were in 

a small town because you got to know the neighborhood. People would call up having questions, 

inviting you to events. Through the local Lutheran 

church, the pastor there got people involved and she 

passed away suddenly and the neighborhood came 

together and dedicated a memorial to her. 

Before ALB I wouldn’t have experienced the people 

side of it as much as I did with this program. Just 

working with people, holding their hands through 

the process was a definite learning experience for 

me.

Gina Childs also sees her experience with the ALB 

program as sometimes inspiring, as well as sometimes saddening.

Julie Saccho from the Openlands Project and I 

started working on other projects together. We had 

always known of each other, but never worked this 

closely before. Joe McCarthy and I were invited by 

Pastor Karen to go out for dinner. Pastor Karen 

unexpectedly died, just days after she had invited 

us to dinner. Joe McCarthy notified me and we 

both attended her funeral. I remember thinking 

how this was a tragedy within a tragedy. She had 

done so much. She had her schoolchildren make a 

book of poems about the ALB and they even made 

lovely notecards that they sold as a fundraiser. She 
A Portrait of Success | 37

really was one of those pillars of the community. 

Believe it or not, there were even church services so 

people could grieve the loss of the trees.

 

Alderman Gene Schulter provided funds for plantings and a plaque that honored both Pastor Parsons 

and the (from plaque) “...many beloved trees that 

have been lost at this site to the Asian longhorned 

beetle.

All the while we lost hundreds of trees in our community and we were very quick to replant those 

trees. And I can recall the times that we had 

meetings with the local arboretum associations in 

our county to teach people better methods of planting and taking care of their trees. But it was this 

kind of approach that we took to make sure that 

we knew the challenge that we had. Now we as a 

ward, a city, a State, and a country had to work 

together on it.

 

In comments for this case study, Chicago Mayor 

Richard Daley offers his perspective of the city’s 

ALB eradication effort.

Chicago’s success to date in dealing with the Asian 

longhorned beetle is a classic example of intergovernmental cooperation. We consider trees one of 

our most important natural resources. And, while 

we did have to take down over 1,500 mature trees 

in our effort to halt the spread of the beetle, it 

could have been a lot worse. Our foresters, along 

with their counterparts in the U.S. and Illinois 

Departments of Agriculture, will continue their 

vigilance and take whatever steps are required to 

ensure that the beetle is totally eradicated.

This plaque honoring the late 

Pastor Karen Parsons and 

the trees in the Ravenswood 

neighborhood lost to ALB is 

embedded in a sidewalk near 

her former church
38 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Conclusions

A key element in our success at dealing with exotic 

pests is the shared responsibility and the cooperative working relationships between the research 

community, the municipalities, the applied agencies, and the technology assistance agencies in the 

Federal and State governments. We don’t get these 

jobs done successfully unless we’re all working together. 

In the Chicago situation, the mayor was an 

extremely important player in our success at responding quickly to the Asian longhorned beetle 

and in the smoothness with which we got the many 

players to direct their attention to dealing with the 

problem. 

The lesson we learned there is that we have to have 

support from the top. The political infrastructure 

has to be behind the intervention against these 

exotic invasive pests or we will just not stop them. I 

think the message to the general public is that once 

these pests occur, your help is needed in making 

sure that the politicians and your representatives 

are sensitized both to the opportunity to be responsive and to the impacts of the damage that might 

occur if we don’t intervene quickly.

Kenneth Knauer, USDA Forest Service State & Private Forestry, 

Northeastern Area, Assistant Director for Forest Health and Economics 

Study Note: Because this case study deals with an 

existing infestation of an exotic/invasive insect, the 

importance of early detection was not discussed. 

This elusive factor could, in itself, prevent the widespread loss of trees from exotic/invasive insects 

that has been seen in recent years. Early detection 

depends on communities prioritizing their tree-care 

resources to allow for regular inspection of tree 

stock, including areas where commercial/industrial 

activity results in a heavy volume of imported materials, and on an educated public that will recognize 

the importance of reporting unusual or unfamiliar 

insect activity.
A Portrait of Success | 39

Supporting Materials

Common Themes

Interviews with people involved at all 

levels with the Chicago ALB eradication effort pointed to the factors 

charted and outlined below as important to the success of the program.

1. Public Outreach and Media 

(65 percent) 

The factor most cited in interviews 

was public outreach and media coverage. From the beginning, the ALB 

team adopted a policy that allowed 

for large-scale public and media access 

to information. This approach gave 

the public two avenues of information. The team was careful that the 

information in the media and at public 

meetings gave the same message. The 

core message was that the city, State, 

and Federal Government were devoting all available resources to the eradication of ALB in Chicago, and that 

residents would not be saddled with 

the cost of removal or restoration. Local media gave the ALB eradication 

effort top coverage in the beginning, 

and followed up with regular ongoing coverage. As important was the 

fact that the coverage was positive. 

Two newspaper reporters commented 

that the “open door” policy set by the 

Staff Training

Engage the Professionals Innovation

Internet

Com. Education Media

Interagency Coop.

Open Communication

Aesthetic, Emotion

Environ. Quality-of-Life Difference

Economic

Political Infrastructure

Early Detection

Trade

Geo Area

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

percent of reponses

Common Themes as Identified by 23 Interviewees
40 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

ALB team contributed to positive coverage because it convinced them that 

there was nothing to hide. The local 

media realized the danger posed by 

the beetle and assumed a role of public outreach and education.

2. Political Support (60 percent)

Virtually all of the respondents working on the ALB team mentioned the 

strong, visible support of Chicago 

Mayor Richard Daley as crucial to the 

success of the program. The mayor’s 

first press conference set that tone, 

and also gave the ALB team members 

the knowledge that he recognized 

their expertise and fully expected 

them to be successful. With that support, city agencies, local elected officials, and city employees responded 

promptly and gave their efforts the 

highest priority, as dictated by the 

mayor.

The Chicago program had an advantage that many other programs do 

not—it was contained within the city 

of Chicago, and therefore did not 

cross any municipal political boundaries. Local elected officials, such as the 

State representative and alderman, 

supported the mayor’s position and 

acted as “ex officio” members of the 

ALB team.

3. Economics (60 percent)

Financial considerations were given 

the same importance as political support. The concerns about property 

devaluation and the fact that residents 

were assured they would not have to 

assume the tree removal or restoration 

costs figured greatly in their responses.

4. Innovative Professional Staff 

(55 percent) 

The presence of an innovative professional staff was named as a major factor. Several respondents mentioned 

that surveys were conducted, initially 

from the ground, in accord with longstanding protocol, and then moved 

to bucket trucks, and finally to using smokejumpers as climbers in the 

off-season. These innovations were 

suggested during problem-solving sessions that included APHIS and USDA 

Forest Service personnel as well as city 

and State officials.

5. Interagency Cooperation 

(50 percent)

The seamless integration of staff from 

local, State, and Federal agencies allowed all members of the team to 

present a unified front and to promote 

the same messages. The team operated 

from a single office in the core area. 

One respondent noted that if visitors 

walked through the office, they would 

see a team, rather than individuals 

serving the causes of different agencies.

6. Aesthetic, Emotion (50 percent)

Half of the respondents also mentioned a sense of the aesthetic value 

of trees and the emotional pain of 

their loss, either to themselves or to 

residents. One interviewee, a singersongwriter, wrote a song describing 

the cutting down of the trees in Ravenswood and used it in a subsequent 

album.
A Portrait of Success | 41

7. Open Communication 

(45 percent)

The continued open communication 

among team members and with the 

media served to keep the public informed of progress in eradicating the 

beetle and restoring the community’s 

trees.

8. Environmental and Quality-ofLife Issues (45 percent) 

Increased noise levels and loss of 

warmth retention (in winter) and 

cooling (during summer months) 

were mentioned as some of the negative effects of the tree loss.

9. International Trade

International trade was mentioned 

as a source of exotic/invasive insect 

infestations. The implication was that 

the continuing increase in global trade 

would result in more infestations in 

other locales.

10. Size and Boundaries of ALB Infestation (40 percent) 

The smaller size of the Chicago infestation (as compared to New York 

City) made it easier to successfully 

address. The geographic boundaries, 

which were within the city of Chicago, 

meant that there was a unified governmental boundary, which also benefited 

the eradication effort.

11. Staff Training (35 percent)

The high-quality training given to 

team staff contributed to their professional activities.

12. Early Detection (30 percent)

This issue would have received more 

attention in a broader discussion of 

ALB and other invasives.

13. Internet (20 percent)

The use of the Internet was mentioned as an important tool in the 

identification of ALB when the insect 

was first discovered in Chicago.
42 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Chicago-Area ALB Sites

The quarantine notice for all areas read as follows in 1998:

TITLE 7-AGRICULTURE 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

PART 301—DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES 

Table of Contents

Subpart--Asian Longhorned Beetle

Sec. 301.51-2 Regulated articles. 

The following are regulated articles:

(a) Firewood (all hardwood species), 

and green lumber and other material 

living, dead, cut, or fallen, inclusive 

of nursery stock, logs, stumps, roots, 

branches, and debris of half an inch 

or more in diameter of the following 

genera: Acer (maple), Aesculus (horse 

chestnut), Betula (birch), Hibiscus 

syriacus L. (Rose of Sharon), Malus

(apple), Melia (chinaberry*), Morus

(mulberry), Populus (poplar), Prunus

(cherry), Pyrus (pear*), Robinia (locust*), Salix (willow), Ulmus (elm), 

and Citrus.* (b) Any other article, 

product, or means of conveyance not 

covered by paragraph (a) of this section if an inspector determines that 

it presents a risk of spreading Asian 

longhorned beetle and notifies the 

person in possession of the article, 

product, or means of conveyance that 

it is subject to the restrictions of this 

subpart.

*Note: Chinaberry, pear, locust, and citrus were eventually removed from quarantine regulation when it was 

determined that they were not ALB host species.

Ravenswood Quaratine Zone (includes 

Kilbourn, Oz Park areas)
A Portrait of Success | 43

Ravenwood, Kilbourn, and 

Oz Park Areas

On July 9, 1998, the community of 

Ravenswood, IL (also known as the 

Lincoln Square community) became 

the first Chicago area identified as 

being infested with the exotic pest 

known as the ALB. This discovery led 

to the eventual quarantine of 24.98 

square miles. Ravenswood is a community of approximately 47,424 residents including 18,945 households. 

The approximate number of occupants per household averages is about 

2.50. The Kilbourn Park infestation 

was found on July 14, 1999 (.11 

square miles). It lies just west of the 

Ravenswood quarantine and south of 

the Park Ridge area. The Oz Park area 

was included in February 2004 and 

added an additional 6.7 square miles 

to the zone.

That area in the Ravenswood community in the city of Chicago that 

is bounded as follows: Beginning at 

the intersection of Kedzie and Bryn 

Mawr; then east along Bryn Mawr to 

the end; then east along an imaginary 

line to the shoreline of Lake Michigan; 

then south from the intersection of 

Kedzie and Bryn Mawr, along Kedzie 

to Diversey Parkway; then east along 

Diversey Parkway to the end; then east 

along an imaginary line to the shoreline of Lake Michigan; then north 

along the shoreline of Lake Michigan 

to the point of beginning.

The quarantined area in the Kilbourn 

Park community in the city of Chicago is bounded as follows: Beginning 

at the intersection of West Roscoe 

Street and North Knox Avenue; then 

north along North Knox Avenue to 

West Addison Street; then north along 

an imaginary line to West Patterson 

Avenue; then west along West Patterson Avenue to North Lamon Avenue; then south along North Lamon 

Avenue to West Addison Street; then 

south along an imaginary line to West 

Roscoe Street; then east along West 

Roscoe Street to the point of beginning. South to Chicago Ave. from 

Damen Ave as the west boundary and 

Lake Michigan as the east boundary 

to include the Oz Park area.

August 1999: The quarantine boundary was extended west from Kedzie 

Avenue to Central Park Avenue.

March 2001: The quarantine boundary was extended to include the area 

north of Bryn Mawr, east of Western 

Ave., south of Howard St. and west of 

Lake Michigan.

February 2004: The Oz Park area 

was added to include Chicago Ave., 

on the west by Damen Ave., on the 

east by Lake Michigan and on the 

north by Diversey, which is the southern boundary of the original quarantine area.
44 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Addison

On July 31, 1998, Addison, IL, was 

the second community found to be 

infested with the ALB. This discovery 

led to a quarantined area equivalent to 

about 1 square mile area or approximately 640 acres. Addison is a community with a population of about 

35,914, including 11,805 homes, or 

an average owner-occupied rate of 

3.09 and a rental rate of 3.01 dwellers per household. Addison has been 

a member of Tree City USA for about 

14 years exemplifying the importance 

this community places on trees. The 

Addison Park District provides a highquality park system with 24 parks and 

recreational facilities.

On February 19, 2004, a public meeting was held in Addison for the purposes of removing the city from the 

ALB quarantine regulations. On February 24, 2004, the IDOA (Illinois 

Department of Agriculture) officially 

lifted the quarantine.

The quarantine area (outlined) is 

about 1 square mile. Beginning at the 

intersection of Fullerton Avenue and 

Swift Road; then east along Fullerton 

Avenue to Lombard Road; then north 

along Lombard Road to Army Trail; 

then west along Army Trail to Swift 

Road; then south along Swift Road to 

the point of beginning.
A Portrait of Success | 45

Summit

The village of Summit, IL, was the 

third area to be quarantined from the 

ALB infestation. On August 3, 1998, 

the beetle was identified in the community, leading to a quarantined area 

of about a square mile or 640 acres. 

The quarantine accounted for almost 

half of the surface area in the community.

The 2000 Census reports the population of Summit at 10,637 people with 

3,356 households. An average of 3.42 

residents live in owner-occupied units 

and 2.87 occupy rental units. Many 

people move to Summit for a suburban setting with city amenities. Summit is very close to I-55, Interstate 

294, and I-355.

Along with Addison, the village of 

Summit was officially removed from 

quarantine by the IDOA on February 24, 2004, after 2 years of negative 

survey.

The quarantined area in the Village of 

Summit is bounded as follows: Beginning at the intersection of Archer and 

59th Street; then going south along 

Archer to 67th Street; then east along 

67th Street to the end; then east along 

the railroad tracks to Sayre; then north 

along Sayre to 59th Street; then west 

along 59th Street to the point of beginning.

Kilbourn Park

Kilbourn Park, the fourth ALB site to 

be discovered, was incorporated into 

the Ravenswood quarantine area. [See 

page 42 map of Ravenswood quarantine area.]
46 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Park Ridge

On September 2, 1999, the community of Park Ridge, IL, was the 

fifth community found to be infested 

with the ALB. Approximately 0.3 

of a square mile (about 200 acres) 

was quarantined. The community of 

Park Ridge consists of approximately 

7 square miles (4,480 acres) of land 

encompassing a population of about 

37,775 people. According to 2000 

Census data, the community has approximately 14,219 housing units, of 

which 12,455 are owned and 1,764 

are rented. The average owner-occupied rate is 2.71 individuals per household as compared to a renter-occupied 

rate of 1.88.

Park Ridge is known for its tree-lined 

streets and 20 well-maintained parks 

used for all aspects of recreation. The 

community also has been a member of 

Tree City USA for the past 18 years. 

Park Ridge originally was developed 

without the traditional subdivision 

tracts, which accounts for the unique 

diverse homes in the area. It is approximately 15 miles from the Chicago Loop and 6 miles from O’Hare 

International Airport, the site of the 

sixth ALB infestation.

The Park Ridge infestation was found 

on September 2, 1999. The quarantine area (shaded) is about 0.3 square 

miles (200 acres) per acre. The area 

is bounded by Devon Avenue on the 

North, Dee Road on the East, Kennedy Expressway on the South, and the 

Des Plaines River River on the West.
A Portrait of Success | 47

Chicago O’Hare Area

The Chicago O’Hare area (known 

as the Schorsh Forest View Community) and the encompassing Villages 

of Bensenville and Franklin Park were 

the scenes of the sixth ALB infestation. These areas included portions 

of Cook and DuPage counties, where 

the ALB was discovered on November 

28, 2000. Bensenville’s population is 

20,703 while Franklin Park has about 

19,434 residents. Bensenville has approximately 7,120 housing units, 

with Franklin Park at 6,641 dwellings. 

The owner occupied rates are 3.25 

and 3.03 respectively. The Village of 

Bensenville has been a Tree City USA 

member for 14 years and maintains 13 

parks for leisure and recreational activities. The village is in close proximity 

with the Chicago O’Hare airport and 

lies directly in the flight path of hundreds of planes landing and taking off 

daily. The population is about 19,000, 

but more than 100,000 people work 

there each day. It is approximately 12 

miles northwest of downtown Chicago and serves as the host for over 

1,000 businesses.

The quarantine area in DuPage and 

Cook Counties is as follows: bounded 

on the west from the intersection of 

Supreme Drive and Thomas Drive 

in the Village of Bensenville, south 

on Thomas Drive to its end, then on 

a line southwest to Church Road, 

continuing south on Church Road 

to Jefferson Street; bounded on the 

south from the intersection of Jefferson Street and Church Road, east 

on Church Road to the Cook and 

DuPage County Line, continuing 

east on a line through the Chicago, 

Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific 

Railroad Yards to the intersection 

of Waveland Avenue and Centrella 

Street in the Village of Franklin Park, 

continuing east on Waveland Avenue 

to Mannheim Road in the Village of 

Franklin Park; on the east from the 

intersection of Waveland Avenue and 

Mannheim Road in the Village of 

Franklin Park, north on Mannheim 

Road to Interstate 190, west along 

Interstate 190 to Bessie Coleman 

Drive, continuing north on Bessie 

Coleman Drive to a point in line with 

Runway 27 Right of O’Hare International Airport; on the north from a 

point on Bessie Coleman Drive in line 

with Runway 27 Right, west following Runway 27 Right on the grounds 

of O’Hare International Airport to its 

end, continuing west on a line parallel 

with the runway past the Cook and 

DuPage County line until the line 

intersects York Road, north on York 

Road to Supreme Drive, west on Supreme Drive to Thomas Drive in the 

Village of Bensenville.
48 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

Survey Procedures

The survey protocol information below was taken directly from the official 

USDA APHIS ALB survey manual, 

which describes the steps to be taken 

to survey for the presence of ALB 

once the presence of the insect is confirmed.

Intensive Core Survey (Level 1)

Annually, all host trees within a 1/2-

mile radius of the initial find are 

surveyed visually. This initial survey 

is conducted by ground crews. Once 

visible damage is no longer evident 

from the ground, bucket trucks and 

tree climbers are used to complete the 

survey within the 1/2-mile radius. It 

is recommended that bucket trucks be 

used to survey curbside trees, and tree 

climbers for trees on private property. 

If additional infestations are found, 

the core area will be extended from 

the outermost find in a 1/2-mile radius.

Delimiting Survey (Level 2)

A minimum of a 1-mile radius beyond 

the core survey boundary is surveyed. 

All street/curbside trees are surveyed 

using bucket trucks and ground crews 

in residential areas; a minimum of four 

private properties with host trees per 

block are surveyed initially using tree 

climbers and ground crews. Biannually, all host trees in the delimiting 

area are surveyed using ground crews, 

bucket trucks or tree climbers.

High-Risk Site Detection Survey 

(Level 3) 

Use investigative work to identify potential high-risk sites where ALB infested materials may have been taken. 

Utilize interviews, databases, yellow 

pages, ads or other potentially valuable 

sources of information to identify the 

following:

1. Tree services that conduct business 

within the infested or regulated 

area. Find locations where their vehicles are routinely parked, wood is 

disposed of or stored. 

2. Municipal parks, tree wardens, foresters or other municipal groups 

that may cut or trim trees. 

3. In heavily infested areas, query local residents about any firewood 

they may have cut and given away 

or transported to other locations 

(cabins, camps, etc.). 

4. Landfills or other places used for 

the disposal of recently cut wood 

and brush. 

5. Utility companies.

6. Anyone else who may cut or transport wood.

At sites identified above, conduct annual ground-based visual surveys of 50 

to 100 potential host trees surrounding the site for ALB. Managers may 

choose to use bucket trucks and tree 

climbers based on the availability of 

resources. Only include trees that are 

within 1.25 miles of the site.
A Portrait of Success | 49

Areawide Detection Survey 

(Level 4)

All 1-square-mile areas within 25 

miles of the epicenter of the current 

ALB infestation and outside of the 

regulated area shall be surveyed at 

least once every 3 years in the following manner: Two host trees at each 

of nine sites per square mile shall be 

inspected visually from the ground for 

evidence of ALB infestation. Sites shall 

be well distributed throughout the 

square mile block and separated by a 

minimum of 300 meters. Use a GPS 

unit (if available) to document locations and other data. It is convenient 

to use Township-Range-Section where 

available to define survey blocks. The 

first area wide survey should be completed within 1 year of discovering a 

new infestation that is not associated 

with the existing regulated areas for 

ALB.

The table below shows now many 

infested trees were found annually by 

all methods (i.e., survey and citizen 

reporting) between 1998 and 2003.

Illinois

(updated: December 31, 2003)

 Infested Trees

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total

Ravenswood 453 712 183 68 18 6 1,440

Addison 46 11 1 0 0 0 58

Summit 20 5 0 0 0 0 25

Park Ridge 4 3 0 0 0 47

O’Hare 23 0 0 0 23

Total 519 732 210 68 18 6 1,553

Year totals are calculated on a calendar year basis.
50 | Chicago vs. the Asian Longhorned Beetle

References

Nowak, David J.; Pasek, Judith 

E; et al. 2001. Potential Effect of 

Anophlophora glabripennis (coleoptera: 

cerambycidae) on Urban Trees in the 

United States. Journal of Economic 

Entomology. 94(1): 119.

Pimentel, David; Lach, Lori; et al. 

1999. Environmental and Economic 

Costs Associated with Non-Idigenous 

Species in the United States. Ithaca, 

NY: Cornell University, College of 

Agricultural and Life Sciences. p. 9.

Riddell, Jill and Pollack, Neal. 1999. 

Views on the Asian Longhorned 

Beetle Infestation in Chicago: An 

exploration of Insights from Neighbors 

and Government. 23-99-10-RJVA. 

Evanston, IL: USDA Forest Service 

North Central Forest Experiment 

Station, Research Joint Venture.

Photos on front and back covers and 

on pages 16, 18, 26, 29, 30, 37, and 

50 by Judy Antipin.

For more information on Asian Longhorned beetles, visit

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/alb/index.htm.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/alb/index.html 

For information on the Northeastern Area of the USDA Forest Service, visit 

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/.

Downtown Chicago skyline at dusk
Judy Antipin is a public affairs specialist with the forest health unit of 

the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area. For the last 3 years, she has 

worked extensively with Federal, State, 

and local governments to raise public 

awareness of forest health threats, 

while assisting communities facing 

serious invasive insect emergencies. 

From 1998 to 2000, she was a media 

specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau 

during the decennial census. Prior to 

that she was a newspaper reporter and 

editor for over 10 years. She holds a 

B.A. in English and Psychology from 

Pennsylvania State University and a 

Masters in Journalism from Temple 

University.

Thomas Dilley is the Chicago Metropolitan Initiative Coordinator for the 

USDA Forest Service Northeastern 

Area. He provides technical and grant 

monitoring assistance to the Chicago 

ALB eradication program and urban 

and community forestry programs 

in the Chicago six-county area and 

northwestern Indiana. Prior to his 

current position, he was the Chicago 

USDA Urban Resources Partnership 

Coordinator for the metropolitan 

Chicago area. He holds a B.A. in 

Sociology, with a concentration in 

Environmental Studies, and a M.S. 

in Community Development, with 

a specialization in Environmental 

Education, from Southern Illinois 

University.

Author’s Biographies

The authors and the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area would like to express their appreciation to all those who made this case study possible, 

especially the members of the Chicago ALB Eradication Project and the many 

Chicago residents who lives were affected by the Asian longhorned beetle.
United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

MP-1593

October 2004

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, 

disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and 

marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, 

etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-

720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, 

Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten 

Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider and employer.