Lincoln, Nebraska
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Lincoln
Lincoln owns and manages about 14,000 ash along streets and in parks, and there are three to four times as many on private property. The city's emerald ash borer plan removes and replaces public ash in stages, and residents can get a permit to adopt a street ash and pay for its treatment themselves.
- County
- Lancaster
- Tree rules
- City of Lincoln Community Forestry; EAB Response and Recovery Plan
- Key local rule
- Residents may adopt a street ash with a no-charge permit and provide ongoing treatment
- Electric utility
- Lincoln Electric System
- Main hazards
- Emerald ash borer, ice storms, straight-line winds, drought
What is Lincoln doing about its ash trees?
Removing and replacing public ash in stages under the Emerald Ash Borer Response and Recovery Plan, while treating some. By 2023, more than 5,000 public ash had been removed and about 5,000 treated. Private ash, estimated at upwards of 40,000 trees, are the owner's responsibility.
- Public ash
- Removed or treated by the city.
- Adopt a street ash
- A no-charge permit lets residents treat a street tree at their own expense.
- Private ash
- Owner decides to treat or remove.
The plan and the adopt-a-tree permit
A 2018 city memo estimated 14,150 public ash in Lincoln, with three to four times that number on private property. The city's plan concentrates on removing and replacing public trees, starting with those in poorest condition.
Residents who want to keep a particular street ash can apply for a no-charge permit to adopt it and arrange ongoing chemical treatment through a licensed applicator. The tree remains a city tree.
Lincoln also faces pine wilt, which has killed large numbers of Scots and Austrian pines planted as windbreaks and yard trees across eastern Nebraska. Dead pines should be removed and the wood chipped or burned so the beetles that carry the disease cannot breed in it.
Lincoln's canopy beyond ash
- Hackberry
- Tough native, common on older streets.
- Honeylocust
- Planted widely after Dutch elm disease.
- Bur oak
- Long-lived native oaks in older neighborhoods and parks.
- Silver maple and cottonwood
- Large, fast-growing trees prone to storm damage.
- Austrian and Scots pine
- Many lost to pine wilt across eastern Nebraska.
Eastern Nebraska warning signs
Ash with woodpecker damage
Emerald ash borer larvae under the bark.
Pines turning brown all at once
Pine wilt, which kills Scots and Austrian pines in a season.
Limbs cracked after ice
Lincoln's winters bring periodic ice storms.
Drought-scorched leaves
Dry summers stress trees on clay soils.
Deciding about a private ash
Look at the crown
Healthy, lightly thinned or declining?
Consider its value
Shade, location and size.
Treat or remove
Treatment by a licensed applicator, or removal before it dies.
Replant
Choose another genus.
Treatment or removal in Lincoln
Treat
- Soil drenches, bark sprays or trunk injections
- Repeated every one to three years
- Best for healthy, valued trees
Remove
- One-time job
- Simpler while the wood is sound
- Followed by replanting
Local tree companies saw demand for ash removal jump sharply once the borer took hold. Booking early avoids long waits.
Lincoln tree questions
Will the city remove the ash in front of my house?
Street ash are city trees under the response plan. You can also adopt one with a permit and treat it yourself.
How many ash does Lincoln have?
About 14,000 public ash, and an estimated three to four times that on private land.
What is pine wilt?
A disease caused by a nematode carried by beetles. It kills Scots and Austrian pines quickly, and dead trees should be removed and destroyed.
Who trims trees near power lines in Lincoln?
Lincoln Electric System manages vegetation near its lines.
What should replace a Lincoln ash?
Bur oak, swamp white oak, hackberry, Kentucky coffeetree, lindens and disease-resistant elms all suit Lincoln's soils and winters. A mix on each block limits the damage the next pest can do.
Is ash firewood safe to move in Nebraska?
Burn ash wood near where it was cut. Moving firewood is one of the main ways emerald ash borer reaches new towns.
Reach a tree service in Lincoln
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the Lincoln area, or leave your number and one will call you back.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
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Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
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