Projecting 25-year costs of managing emerald ash borer in urban landscapes with a web-based cost calculator

City arborists in the path of the emerald ash borer invasion need to make decisions about the fate of their ash trees. The proportion of ash trees that can be removed, replaced, or treated depends on the population structure of the ash forest, budget and local politics. A web based calculator was developed to help municipal foresters estimate the costs a particular combination of removing, replacing and treating trees. It also uses a tree growth model to project the size of the managed urban forest over a 25 year period. The calculator uses a number of user defined variables to tailor estimates to the particular situation of a city. Users are expected to obtain a size based inventory of ash trees, estimates for removing and replacing trees, as well as treating trees. Users can spread removal and replacement costs over time and specify mortality rates of replacement trees and treated ash tree. Examples are presented using default settings and data from the city of Indianapolis.