Submission information
DuMont Meadow, SAP-Ne Demonstration Site (Stowe, VT)
Stowe Land Trust treated a preservation patch of nineteen mature white ash, including ten female trees, five male trees, and four unsexed trees at the DuMont Meadow property in Stowe, Vermont. The trees were inoculated in July 2026 with emamectin benzoate to protect them from the emerald ash borer. They will be retreated every 3 years to preserve genetic diversity and to protect seed trees for future ash regeneration. Forest stewardship practices at this site are supported in part by the Sustaining Ash Partners Network (SAP-Ne), through a demonstration site network showcasing effective approaches for preserving future generations of ash in the face of emerald ash borer.
Site Location
Stowe, Vermont
This preservation patch is located off Adams Mill Road in Stowe, Vermont. The preservation patch is located just west of Alex's Trail, about 0.42 miles from the property’s parking area
44.442022
-95.730145
To reach the white ash preservation patch, park at the public five-car parking area for the DuMont Meadow property at the end of Adams Mill Road. Walk along Alex’s Trail through the forest until the trail forks in two at mile 0.4. Take the left trail fork; the ash preservation patch is situated just west of the trail in this area before the trail enters the meadow. You may also navigate to the patch using this Google Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AjTRuFeYEAxoJt44A. Tree tags are attached to all treated white ash trees.
Visitors should park at the five-car public parking area at the end of Adams Mill Road and then may walk, bike, snowshoe, or ski along Alex’s Trail to get to the preservation patch. The property is open to the public year-round.
Stowe Land Trust
+1 802-253-7221
Stand Information
Approximately 2.5 acre preservation patch with nineteen treated mature white ash trees
Ash
Rich Northern Hardwood Forest
emerald ash borer
Pre-treatment Conditions
All or most of the DuMont property was cleared for agricultural use in the 1800’s. These fields and pastures were abandoned within the last one hundred years and allowed to revert to forest. There is no history of recent harvesting in this stand.
Emerald Ash Borer
Silviculture Prescription
Emerald ash borer threatens the long-term existence of all species of ash native to North America. In 2024, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was detected in Stowe, Vermont for the first time. This property contains a stand of rich northern hardwood forest that includes some large and healthy white ash. We identified ten female white ash, five male white ash, and four unsexed white ash ranging in size from 9” to 25” diameter at breast height (DBH). These nineteen white ash trees were injected with emamectin benzoate in July 2026 to preserve genetic diversity and protect seed trees for future ash regeneration. The trees will be reinoculated every three years. This is one site in a network of sites owned by non-profit and state and federal partners where ash preservation patches have been established to conserve ash genetics.
Conserve a reproducing population of white ash and preserve the genetics of white ash.
SLT manages the DuMont Meadow property for the following objectives: Maintain public dispersed and trail access to the land. Maintain and enhance important characteristics and values of the forest, including native biodiversity, wildlife habitat and connectivity, forest health, water quality, soil health, structural complexity, and resilience to climate change and other stressors. Maintain the current meadow area as early successional habitat. Maintain a 100-foot forested riparian buffer along the edge of the Little River.
Nineteen white ash trees (ten female, five male, four unsexed) were treated with a systemic trunk injection of emamectin benzoate 4.0% (trade name: Mectinite) at an application rate of 5 mL per inch of DBH. Trees were sexed in May 2026 and treatment occurred in July 2026. We plan to continue to treat these trees every three years.
- forest health
- species or ecosystem restoration
Application was administered by SLT’s contractor, Acer Tree Care. Mectinite is applied via basal trunk injection, drilling small holes in the base of the tree to allow the insecticide to then be drawn up into the upper canopy through the tree's natural processes.
This treatment was done following SLT staff best efforts to sex ash trees in May 2026. During sexing, we were able to see old seed pod stalks on many female ash trees. We were also able to observe spring ash flowering, although tree height made using flowers to sex trees somewhat difficult. Additionally, female ash do not flower every year, which limited our ability to sex some trees for treatment. To meet genetic conservation goals, UVM Professor Tony D’Amato recommends a 30% male, 70% female inoculation ratio spread across 12-20 grouped trees. Ability to pollinate between male and female white ash trees is generally effective when there is no more than three hundred feet between flowering trees. We selected ten female trees, five male trees, and four unsexed trees for this preservation patch.
Post-treatment
yes
Miscellaneous
$2,880, not including staff time
The nineteen white ash trees in this preservation patch will be retreated every 3 years.
Statistics
Contact Information
Carolyn Loeb
Stewardship Director
Stowe Land Trust
PO Box 284
Stowe, Vermont. 05672
United States
Stowe Land Trust is a non-profit land trust that currently protects about 5,000 acres of land. Our mission is conserving the land and waters we love to enhance quality of life for all connected to the Stowe area.
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