SAN ANTONIO – The city of San Antonio is taking extra steps to fight the spread of the oak wilt fungus by changing when crews pick up brush and bulky waste.
Oak wilt is a fungus that kills trees. It’s spread by beetles and is mostly concentrated on the north and northwest sides of the city.
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The spread is most common between February and June, so to help prevent it, the city will shift brush pick up on the north and northwest sides to avoid those months.
“This is a horrible tree disease. It destroys the value of people’s properties. It will result in reduced tax revenue from properties in the city, and there really is no known cure for it,” said Joe Krier, District 9 city councilman.
Brush and bulky was pickup will still happen twice a year. The city will notify the residents of those dates.
Another way to prevent oak wilt is to clean tree trimming tools often and seal any cuts immediately.
The ordinance passed by the City Council Thursday also strengthens licensing requirements for tree trimmers.