Over the next few days, the Wetland Trail at Vietnam Veterans Park (760 Orphanage Road, Concord) will be closed for the removal of more than 50 dead ash trees.
As the trees die from infestation by emerald ash borers (small beetles that feed on the tissues beneath the bark), they become prone to break in high winds. The trees are being removed throughout the week for the safety of park patrons, officials said.
According to the NC Forest Service, the emerald ash borer was first found in the United States near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. They are now found in many Midwestern and Eastern states and have already killed tens of millions of ash trees around the country.