Government Officials Consider Cutting Down Ash Trees to Contain Emerald Ash Borer

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Government officials are considering cutting down ash trees in a miles-wide swath across three states in an attempt to contain the infestation of a tree-killing beetle.

The goal is to create a natural barrier against the emerald ash borer that could extend in a semicircle south from Michigan into northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana, according to state and federal officials.

The pesticide-resistant beetle has wiped out millions of ash trees in southeast Michigan and has been found in all three states.

In theory, the barrier would stop the beetle from spreading from its core infestation in Detroit by denying it food. No route has been determined.

The barrier would be three to six miles wide because it's believed the ash borer does not travel farther than half a mile on its own. U.S. Forest Service maps will be used to determine the number of ash trees in the zone, officials said.

There were no estimates on the cost of creating the barrier. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to spend up to $43.4 million on ash borer eradication efforts this year.

The zone could take up to eight years to plan and complete, said Bob Waltz, state entomologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

"The ultimate goal of all of this is to protect the ash (tree) resources of North America," Waltz said. "When it gets in the trees, it kills them. This guy takes no prisoners."

A native of Asia, the ash borer was discovered in the United States two years ago in Michigan. Officials believe it traveled to this country inside wood packing crates.