While Arlington Heights is not funding any preventative treatment options to combat emerald ash borers, the board is eying spending $11.5 million removing and replacing infected trees.

The board will consider the removal and replacement program during its Feb. 20 Village Board meeting.

The board is merely approving the concept on Monday, which includes issuing general obligation bonds to pay for the program and a full-time forestry, said Finance Director Thomas Kuehne.

The bonds would increase the village’s debt by about $960,000 annually, however, the village anticipates its debt will drop by $1.5 million in 2014.

Because of the debt trade-off, the village is not anticipating any increase in the tax levy to fund the program.

There is no date yet set for the issuance of the bonds. That depends on how quickly EAB spreads through the village’s 13,000 parkway ash trees, Kuehne said.

The village will use $2 million of surplus funds to start the program this spring, and later refund the money when the bond is issued.

The village will also hire a full-time employee in the forestry division to manage the program, along with the People’s Choice program.

Under the People’s Choice program, the village will provide education and support for residents seeking to treat their parkway trees at their own expense. So far at least three neighborhoods are participating in the program, which involves treating trees every year to three years.

Village staff have been tying ribbons around ash trees to bring awareness of the plight of the ash trees, which could be nearly wiped out by 2015, according to officials.