Community seeks to preserve park trees

BROOKINGS — A community-led campaign is underway to preserve mature ash trees in Pioneer Park, home to the annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival and one of Brookings’ most cherished public spaces.

Led by longtime Brookings resident Barb Walder and supported by the Brookings Foundation, the effort seeks financial support from local businesses, major employers, community partners and residents to fund Emerald Ash Borer treatments for approximately 25 remaining mature ash trees in Pioneer Park.

With additional Emerald Ash Borer-related removals expected after September, many residents recognize that this may be one of the final summers visitors experience Pioneer Park’s iconic tree canopy much as generations before them have.

Approximately 10 ash trees were already removed from the park by the City this past winter.

Current estimates indicate treatment costs of approximately $7,500 every 2-3 years to preserve the park’s remaining 25 mature ash trees. Treatments are expected to continue for approximately 15 years, although the timeline may change as Emerald Ash Borer populations decline.

Donations will be administered through the Brookings Foundation.

Those wishing to donate may send checks to the Brookings Foundation, Attn.: Kurt Osborne 1028 7th Ave. Brookings SD 57006, or donations can be made online at www.brookingsfoundation.org. Click on the “Donate” button, then click on the drop down menu and select

“Pioneer Park Emerald Ash Borer Project.” Through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Brookings Foundation and the City, any remaining funds raised for the project will be disbursed to the City Park, Recreation and Forestry Department after all treatments take place or the project ends.

Held annually on the second full weekend in July, the Brookings Summer Arts Festival attracts more than 30,000 visitors each year to the City of Brookings and provides a significant economic boost to Brookings hotels, restaurants, retailers and other businesses.

Supporters say the mature trees and shaded setting of Pioneer Park are part of what make the festival experience special.

“People come for the Arts Festival, but they also come for the beauty of the park,” Walder said. “The mature trees provide the atmosphere and sense of place that make Pioneer Park so special.”

While Pioneer Park has become the focus of the current fundraising effort, the Emerald Ash Borer issue extends far beyond the park itself. The City of Brookings is facing the same challenge as thousands of communities across the Midwest following the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that kills ash trees by destroying the tissue beneath the bark that carries water and nutrients throughout the tree.

According to the City of Brookings, approximately 20 percent of the City’s public tree inventory consists of ash trees, and more than 6,000 public ash trees are expected to require removal over the next decade if left untreated.

The City’s Emerald Ash Borer management plan is being implemented in phases, beginning with Zone 4, where the infestation is most severe. To date, more than 100 City ash trees in Zone 4—including nearly all boulevard ash trees along Derdall Drive, Elmwood Avenue, Olwein Avenue and connecting streets—have either been removed by the City or treated by adjacent property owners. Residents have the option to pay a certified arborist to treat healthy ash trees located on City-owned boulevard adjacent to their homes, allowing those public trees to remain rather than be removed by the City. The City’s Park, Recreation and Forestry Department contacts homeowners prior to removing boulevard trees.

Homeowners can be reimbursed $50 for one treated tree per property per year through the City’s Urban Forest Initiative.

For Barb Walder, the issue became personal in October 2025 when she watched crews remove mature ash trees along Derdall Drive.

“The street no longer looked like the neighborhood I had come to know and love,” Walder said. “The shade was gone, the canopy disappeared, and I felt there had to be alternatives worth exploring before losing every tree.”

Since October 2025, Walder has knocked on 122 doors throughout Brookings neighborhoods to educate residents about their option to preserve City-owned boulevard ash trees adjacent to their homes by paying for treatment. Her outreach has already helped save 55 public ash trees that otherwise may have been removed. Homeowners with boulevard ash trees still have time to preserve those City-owned trees by hiring a certified arborist before removals resume in September.

Residents can view the City’s Emerald Ash Borer dashboard and map of trees slated for removal at:
https://brookingscosd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/de3e1084ecea4cb3944659340c4b1f80

Trees scheduled for removal are identified by red dots. Treatment costs typically range from $250 to $300 per tree, depending on size.
Treatment is administered every 2-3 years for an average of 10-15 years depending on the tree.

Organizers recognize the enormous financial challenge Emerald Ash Borer presents to the City of Brookings and appreciate the difficult decisions facing City leaders as they manage thousands of public ash trees throughout the community.

Supporters hope the City of Brookings will consider matching private donations raised for Pioneer Park ash tree treatment in recognition of the park’s importance to the community and the role it plays as the home of the Brookings Summer Arts Festival.

“Pioneer Park is the crown jewel of Brookings and the backdrop for one of our community’s signature events,” Walder said. “We hope residents, businesses, and the city of Brookings can work together to preserve this special place for future generations.”

The Brookings Foundation has agreed to serve as the conduit for fundraising efforts.

“Pioneer Park has long been a place where our community gathers and creates memories,” said Kurt Osborne, Director of the Brookings Foundation. “We are proud to partner with community members who are committed to preserving this important asset for future generations.”

“Pioneer Park is part of the heart and soul of Brookings,” Walder said.
“From summer concerts to the Summer Arts Festival, generations of families have created memories beneath these trees. Protecting them means protecting part of Brookings’ identity and preserving what makes our community ‘Someplace Special.’”

For additional information and media inquiries, please contact Cassie Lintner at (949) 371-7869.