Colorado Springs confirmed its first emerald ash borer infestation, and officials are asking residents to keep an eye on ash trees as the destructive insect pushes farther south in the state, according to Colorado Politics.
For a city with around 17,000 ash trees under public management, the discovery could eventually mean more dead trees, higher removal costs, and less shade in neighborhoods that rely on an urban canopy to diffuse heat.
Here's what to know
The first verified case in Colorado Springs was announced by city officials, Colorado Politics reported.
It traced back to July, when a city forester, answering a call in northeast Colorado Springs, examined a dying ash tree and spotted evidence that set off alarms.
What stood out were the D-shaped holes associated with emerald ash borer activity.
After the tree was taken down, the city sent larvae collected from it to the Colorado State Forest Service, which confirmed the identification.
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Its arrival in Colorado Springs represents a southward leap of about 50 miles from the nearest earlier detections in Parker and Highlands Ranch.
The insect itself — a small green beetle from eastern Asia — has been invading ash trees in the United States for more than 20 years, and Colorado's first confirmed case was reported in Boulder in 2013.
More background
Ash trees make up roughly one-sixth of the trees managed by the city.
When an invasive insect kills that many trees, the consequences are not only ecological — they can also affect daily life through hotter streets, reduced air-quality benefits, weaker stormwater control, and costly tree removals and replacements.
By feeding beneath the bark, emerald ash borers interfere with the tree's ability to move water and nutrients. Ash trees in this region lack natural defenses against the pest, so infestations often kill them within a few years.
Carrie Tomlinson, Urban and Community Forest Manager for the Colorado State Forest Service, described the broader pattern.
"Ash were, many times, planted as a replacement for elms in the landscape because of Dutch elm disease. Now we're having to go through the same thing with the ash trees because we didn't support a diversity of species to replace the elms," she explained.
Concentrating too heavily on one species can create a new vulnerability when the next invasive threat arrives.
Trees cool neighborhoods, improve air quality, and support resilience against worsening heat.
What's being done?
Colorado Springs has already begun its response, with foresters asking both residents and tree management companies to watch for the insect as it spreads.
Spotting new cases early gives officials more information about where the infestation is moving and how best to react.
Residents can help by refraining from transporting firewood, especially from areas where emerald ash borer is already established. Officials believe the beetle may have reached Colorado Springs in firewood brought from the Denver area.
Another step is to watch ash trees for signs of decline, including the D-shaped holes officials identified in the first confirmed case.
While individual action will not eliminate the pest, it can help slow accidental spread and give communities a better chance to protect the tree cover that supports healthier, cooler neighborhoods.
The confirmation suggests Colorado Springs is likely entering a longer fight.
"Right now it's isolated, but it will move. That pest is here to stay," Lead City Forester Matthew Puckett warned.
Where can I learn more?
Emerald ash borer is the immediate concern in Colorado Springs, but invasive species are a far broader issue.
The stories below look at other ways these infestations and climate stress are wearing down forests and tree cover.
• In Utah, fir forests face an invasive species wreaking havoc as insects spread.
• Across island ecosystems, invasive animals fundamentally alter ecological interactions and intensify pressure on native forests.
• Whitebark pines are losing ground in their natural habitat as climate pressures reshape mountain ecosystems.
What's happening elsewhere helps show what's at stake in Colorado Springs, and these stories make clear why early detection and prevention matter so much.
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