Organization offering 'bounty' for removal of invasive trees in central Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A central Ohio organization has put a bounty on Callery pear trees, offering residents money to replace the invasive species with another plant.

The Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, Franklin County’s natural resource agency, has teamed up with multiple local cities to incentivize residents to ditch their Callary pear trees and other invasive plants. The cities of Columbus, Grove City, New Albany, Reynoldsburg and Westerville are participating. 

The program requires residents to remove one of the accepted invasive plants from their yard and replace it with a native tree or shrub before receiving a monetary reward, according to Kori Sedmak, public outreach coordinator at the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District.

“Westerville is just doing the Callery pears as part of the program but these other communities are also including bush and vine, tree of heaven, burning bush and Japanese barberry,” Sedmak said.

To participate, residents are required to show photos of both the removal of an invasive species and the planting of a native species to the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, along with the receipt for the new plant. The conservation district has a list of native plants residents can choose from as a replacement for an invasive species, including dogwood trees, Eastern white cedars and blue-eyed grass.

The required photos can be sent through email, mail or shown in person. The organization asks for two to three weeks to review an applicant's materials. The agency will then mail a $100 check to the participant, or $150 if they are located in New Albany, to help reimburse the cost of the new plant that was purchased. While New Albany participated in the program last year, the rest of the cities are offering the bounty for the first time. 

Invasive plants are those that are not native to their environment and cause harm to the ecosystem they are in. An example numerous Ohioans have likely seen – or smelled – is Callery pear trees, which spread rapidly and crowd out native plants. 

“If you look on the sides of the highways this time of year, you see all these blooming Callery pears and they grow so much faster than everything else that they prevent [native] trees from growing,” Sedmak said.

The tree, known for its white flowers, also typically produces a strong aroma, which has been likened to a variety of unpleasant scents, including rotting fish, vomit, and animal waste.

While there is no official cut-off date for the program, the reward will no longer be offered in a community as funding limits are reached. Sedmak said the organization will be able to accept about 13 to 14 trade-ins per community. 

The best place to find out if a resident is located within the boundaries of the participating cities is through the Franklin County Auditor’s website, according to Sedmak. She also said those who want to participate can call the conservation district at 614-486-9613 to find out if they are eligible. Residents can submit their application for the bounty program here.