?EUR??,,????'??We wanted to get value out of them before we lost them,?EUR??,,????'?? said Steve Gruner, director of the Sandusky County Park District in Ohio, which utilized ash trees to renovate a historic barn.

In Glenview, IL, ash trees are being turned into baseball bats; in Ann Arbor, Mich. ash floors and paneling is being installed in the city library; and in Monroe, Mich. ash park benches, picnic tables, and sign posts are being installed.

Because the beetle bores about a half-inch under the bark, most of the tree is salvageable. ?EUR??,,????'??Almost every tree is usable in some form,?EUR??,,????'?? said Bruce hHorigan, who owns Horigan Urban Forest Products.

And of the few cities that are preparing for disposal of the dead trees, most still end up as firewood or mulch.

The U.S.D.A. estimates that over $7 billion could be spent over the next 25 years on cleaning up ash trees. However there are limits. In most areas that have been affected by the pest, the wood can?EUR??,,????'???t be moved out of the area until it is kiln-dried or fumigated.