Millions of Michigan ash trees have been killed by the ash borer epidemic, and the state has granted a former forestry worker permission to open a business to salvage some of the usable wood, Local 4 reported.

Chris Last was first to try chipping away the diseased wood on Michigan's 22 million diseased ash trees.

"It broke my heart to see it going on," Last told Local 4 business editor Rod Meloni. "It was like somebody poked me with a cattle prod, telling me there has to be a better way."

Last's business, Last Chance Logs-To-Lumber, uses a computerized portable milling saw to shave off a half-inch under the bark where the ash borer did the damage, and mill perfectly useful trees into highly desirable lumber.

"I've seen it with churches where they rebuilt every pew in their church from the trees that were dropped on their property," said Last.

The city of Troy lost hundreds of trees, Local 4 reported.

Sam Lamerato of the city of Troy Public Works, hired Last to make snow plow sideboards, and Last plans to scrap wood during the spring to build picnic tables.

"We were paying $48 to $50 a board," Lamerato told Meloni. "By milling ourselves, we're spending about $10 a board."

Last Chance Logs-To-Lumber processes felled trees into reusable wood and the company specializes in a variety of trees.

Last said he doesn't limit his work to large companies, but will perform his services for homeowners and smaller business, too.

For information, go to www.woodfinder.com.