STOW: City crews removed 63 ash trees from Silver Springs Campground this month after discovering an infestation of emerald ash borer.It was the first time the city had spotted the exotic, dark green beetles, which already have felled millions of ash trees in Ohio.Now city arborist Sue Mottl said she will encourage officials to find money for an unfunded 2010 plan that would replace the 612 ash trees in the city. With city employees doing the work, 60 trees a year could be replaced at an annual cost of about $12,000, she said.“Now that we’ve found them, I think in two to three years, there will be a massive outbreak,” Mottl said. “It’s easier to remove live trees than dead trees because dead trees are brittle,” meaning they fall apart easily when crews try to topple them using wedges, and they can’t be climbed.The bugs began their unchecked march across the state about nine years ago. The only thing on their diet: the humble ash tree, a favorite of city planners and developers for its ability to thrive in the tree lawns of urban environments.Many cities have begun removing healthy trees because there is no practical way to stop the beetle.The borer invades a tree from the top and remains hidden inside the bark for most of the year, so the tree’s fate is sealed long before any symptoms show. Only when larvae mature and adults bore their way out of the tree are telltale signs of D-shaped exit holes visible. By then, the tree is doomed.On Feb. 1, maintenance workers culling trees in the city-owned campground, part of Silver Springs Park off Young Road, became suspicious of damage on an ash tree. They took down the tree and found the beetle.Mottl said that because it was the city’s first experience with the beetle, it called in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for confirmation.“At that point, we knew all ash trees in a quarter-mile [radius] would be infested,” Mottl said. All ash trees in the campground and an access road were removed immediately.Mottl said she has checked other ash trees in the city and has not found damage, though she cautioned that it doesn’t mean they’re not infested.Last week, Mottl put together an emerald ash borer display in the lobby of Stow City Hall, including a cut from the Silver Springs trees to show the larvae tunnels.On Tuesday, she will speak at a City Council Public Improvements Committee meeting to update officials on recent events and advise action.Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.