Forest health specialists investigating a citizen report of dying ash trees in a private woodlot in Ozaukee County, Wis., near the Village of Newburg, found what they had feared—the first signs of an invasion in Wisconsin.
The emerald ash borer, an invasive, wood-boring beetle that attacks ash trees, has been positively identified for the first time in Wisconsin. Since then, it has been detected in Washington County, not far from the first confirmed case in neighboring Ozaukee County. Three adult beetles were found on Aug. 1, stuck to a purple EAB trap located in Fireman’s Park in the village of Newburg.
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“It’s not surprising that one of the purple, sticky traps caught these beetles in Newburg,” said Jennifer Statz, EAB Program manager with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “The location is very close to Wisconsin’s first confirmed case of EAB, and several ash trees in Fireman’s Park have the tell-tale signs of EAB infestation.”
Samples of the beetle, along with larvae, were collected by Department of Natural Resources staff and were positively identified as emerald ash borer by experts with the United States Department of Agriculture.
“We expected to find EAB in Wisconsin sooner or later, but this is still disappointing,” said DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen. However, we now have a revised plan that outlines several management alternatives. Our focus now is to find out exactly what we’re up against.”
EAB has been found in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri and the Canadian Provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Wisconsin is now the 10th state to have detected the pest, which arrived from Asia in wood packing material. EAB kills all species of North American ash trees and has killed an estimated 40 million trees since it was first detected in Michigan in 2002.
WGIF spokesperson Brian Swingle noted that the industry has been preparing for EAB since it was first detected in Michigan in 2002. “Nurseries have been phasing out of ash species since that time and it has been accelerated by the steep drop in demand for ash trees and the finding of the pest in Illinois and upper Michigan in 2007.”
EAB Quarantine Established
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The two counties where emerald ash borer has been confirmed, along with two additional neighboring counties, have been placed under quarantine in an effort to help prevent the human-aided spread of EAB.
The quarantine includes all of Ozaukee, Washington, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties. The purpose of the quarantine is to limit the artificial spread of emerald ash borers which may be present in ash nursery stock, hardwood firewood, timber or other articles that could spread EAB into other areas of Wisconsin or other states.
The quarantine will affect plant nurseries, firewood dealers, lumber mills, arborists, pallet manufacturers and homeowners within the four-county area.
“Establishing this quarantine is an important first-step to combat EAB,” explained Bob Dahl, plant protection section chief with DATCP. “EAB can travel only so far on its own, but the beetle can travel great distances if it is unknowingly transported inside logs, mulch or firewood.”
Although the presence of EAB has so far only been confirmed in Ozaukee and Washington counties, the neighboring counties were added because of their proximity to the known locations of EAB and to address some practical issues related to the handling of wood waste from those two counties.
“Quarantined areas need to be large enough so the items of concern, such as ash tree trimmings, dead trees, wood chips or wood waste can be handled and processed without significant costs to municipalities,” Dahl said. “It may be more cost effective to move approved items into the neighboring county for handling and processing.”
The size of the infestation is still unknown so including neighboring counties errs on the side of caution, Dahl explained. Nurseries in quarantined counties will not be able to move ash nursery stock to non-quarantined counties or states because there is currently no way to treat the trees with 100-percent guaranteed success.
“This shouldn’t be a hardship for most nurseries as many have already cut back or stopped raising ash because of the declining demand for it,” Dahl said. Violating the quarantine is a criminal action and may result in a fine of up to $200, six months in jail, or both. If regulated materials cross the state line, federal penalties begin at $1,000.
For lumber mills, firewood dealers and pallet manufacturers, businesses will be required to follow approved handling methods to prevent the spread of EAB on wood items. This might include debarking, fumigation, kiln-drying or other approved procedures. In addition, the department will inspect and certify the products to be free of EAB before the wood products could move out of the quarantined area.
New EAB Response Plan Recently Approved
“We’ve worked with partners, scientists and key stakeholders to draw on the real world experiences of other states to draft a comprehensive response plan to EAB,” said Darrell Zastrow, the Director of the Office of Forest Science with the DNR. “DNR Secretary Matt Frank and DATCP Secretary Rod Nilsestuen recently approved an updated Wisconsin EAB Response Plan that takes into account the latest science and research regarding the control and management of the emerald ash borer.”
The response plan describes a range of possible management actions and suggests balancing any recommended treatment with environmental impacts, land ownership, cost, sociological impacts, size of the infestation and traditional ecological knowledge.
“A lot is at stake in Wisconsin,” Zastrow said. “There are an estimated 737 million ash trees in our forests and another five million in our communities. Impacts to the forest products industry, tourism and communities could be substantial.”
Authorities in Wisconsin will not determine how to manage emerald ash borer until they find out the extent of the infestation. In Michigan, when the insect was first found, officials embarked on a massive tree-cutting strategy - including healthy trees. Wisconsin officials are not wedded to eradication, since in most cases it hasn't been effective. But there is a good chance officials will order the removal of diseased trees that are beyond saving. In Wilmette, Ill., where the insect was discovered in 2006, crews have cut down 433 trees on public rights of way, according to city forester Kevin Sorby, the first person to discover emerald ash borer in Cook County. Residents are also cutting diseased trees, and some are using chemicals. The city has ordered removal of some dying ash trees, he said.
Community meetings will be held soon to address public concerns. Word of these will be made public as soon as they can be organized. In the meantime, citizens can help prevent the spread of EAB and learn more in several ways: First, follow all quarantine guidelines. For many people, that will mean not moving firewood out of the quarantined area.
Second, learn about the signs and symptoms of EAB infestation, including the characteristics of an infested tree. This information can be found at the Wisconsin EAB Program Web site at www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov. Report suspicious ash trees or request information by calling the Wisconsin EAB Program hotline toll-free at 1-800-462-2803.