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Spotlights
Montana Department of Agriculture.
The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) has issued an emergency quarantine order to protect against the introduction and spread of the emerald ash borer (EAB), a destructive wood-boring beetle that has already killed millions of ash trees in North America. The order was motivated by the removal of federal domestic quarantine regulations by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). "It is important that we remain vigilant and do everything in our power to make sure that the emerald ash borer doesn’t find a way into Montana," said MDA Director Mike Foster. "This quarantine order protects the green ash woodland resources in eastern Montana that provide habitat for many wildlife species as well as economic benefits to livestock producers and rural communities."
Montana’s emergency quarantine order restricts EAB from entering the state in any form, as well as the movement of live ash trees, parts of ash trees capable of harboring live EAB, and any other articles determined potentially hazardous. MDA will accept public comment regarding the quarantine order until February 26, 2021.
University of Minnesota.
New research from the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC) shows a possible path forward in controlling the invasive pest, the emerald ash borer (EAB), that threatens Minnesota’s nearly one billion ash trees.
In a recent study published in Fungal Biology, MITPPC researchers identified various fungi living in EAB-infested trees — a critical first step in finding fungi that may be harnessed to control the spread of EAB, and ultimately, prevent ash tree death.
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is changing its approach to fight the emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation that has spread through much of the United States. The Agency is publishing a final rule that removes the federal domestic EAB quarantine regulations that have proved ineffective and will redirect resources to more promising methods. Removing the quarantine regulations ends APHIS' domestic regulatory activities, which includes actions such as issuing permits, certificates and compliance agreements, making site visits, and conducting investigations of suspected violations.
The final rule and the response to the comments we received will publish in the Federal Register on December 15, 2020 and be rule will be effective on January 14, 2021. Documents may be viewed online at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/APHIS-2017-0056 upon publication.
For more information, see: Questions and Answers: Changes in the Approach toward Fighting the Emerald Ash Borer (Dec 2020; PDF | 692 KB)
USDA. Blog.
Humans adores trees. But humans also migrate and trade, habits that led to the accidental introduction of insects and diseases that harm trees and alter the landscape. Examples are easy to find and may be outside your front door: American elms that once dotted streets across America succumbed to Dutch elm disease. Now all colors of ash species – black, green, white, pumpkin, and blue – are threatened by emerald ash borer. The already uncommon butternut tree, also known as white walnut, faces the possibility of extinction from a mysterious attacker. Many invasive insects and fungi come from regions where native trees have evolved to resist their attacks. When these species enter the United States, they find trees that lack this resistance. There's no immediate end to this dismal pipeline, but there is hope on the horizon.
USDA. FS. Southern Research Station. CompassLive.
Electronic noses are sensitive to a vast suite of volatile organic compounds that every living organism emits. A new USDA Forest Service study shows that e-noses can detect emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) larvae lurking under the bark – an early, noninvasive detection method. "The results were quite spectacular," says Dan Wilson, a research plant pathologist and lead author of the study. The findings were published in the journal Biosensors.
Nature Conservancy.
The Don’t Move Firewood campaign is an outreach partnership managed by The Nature Conservancy. The overarching goal of the campaign is to protect trees and forests all across North America from invasive insects and diseases that can travel in or on contaminated firewood. The central tenet of the Don’t Move Firewood campaign is that everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread of invasive tree killing insects and diseases, through making better informed firewood choices. For more information on how you can do your part, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
See also: Top 5 Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week Ideas for 2021 -- During Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week (May 23- 29, 2021) everyone is encouraged to take a few minutes to learn about the signs and symptoms of emerald ash borer infestation on ash trees, so that the infestations can be better managed by local tree professionals and foresters.
USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
An interactive story map of the USDA’s history of combating the infestation and the continuing efforts to protect ash trees in the U.S.
Distribution / Maps / Survey Status
USDA. FS. Northern Research Station.
Select the non-indigenous forest pest to view maps depicting state and county distribution. Produced by: USDA, FS, Forest Health Protection, and its partners.
Quarantine
Emerald Ash Borer Information Network.
Provides state quarantine information. Federal domestic quarantine EAB regulations have been removed effectively Jan 14, 2021.
Images
Videos
Selected Resources
The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Emerald Ash Borer.
Council or Task Force
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.
Partnership
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization.
National Plant Diagnostic Network.
You can become a more effective First Detector by familiarizing yourself with invasive target pests and pathogens known to exist in the U.S. If you think you have encountered one of the species or disease complexes listed, report its presence.
New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.
Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in New York in June 2009 near Randolph, in western Cattaraugus County. The rapid spread of the beetle through North America is most likely due to the transport of infested firewood, ash nursery stock, unprocessed ash logs, and other ash products. In an effort to slow the continued spread of EAB, both Federal and New York State agencies have instituted quarantines of infested areas to regulate the transport of ash products.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Galveston Bay Estuary Program; Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
Federal Government
International Government
Natural Resources Canada. Canadian Forest Service.
State and Local Government
Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Forest Service.
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The emerald ash borer is a half-inch long metallic green beetle with the scientific name Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Larvae of this beetle feed under the bark of ash trees. Their feeding eventually girdles and kills branches and entire trees. Emerald ash borer was first identified in North America in southeastern Michigan in 2002.
Colorado Department of Agriculture. Division of Plant Industry.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was found in Boulder, CO, in September 2013. As a non-native insect, EAB lacks predators to keep it in check. EAB only attacks ash trees in the genus Fraxinus (so mountain ash are not susceptible). EAB is responsible for the death of millions of ash trees in the Midwest. Help protect Colorado's ash trees! Don't move firewood, and consider chemical treatments to protect high-value ash trees.
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry.
New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Academic
Michigan State University. Integrated Pest Management Program.
See also: IPM Scouting in Woody Landscape Plants for more pests and diseases
Iowa State University. Extension and Outreach. Pesticide Safety Information Program.
Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.
Nebraska Forest Service.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has confirmed that emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered during a site inspection in Omaha's Pulaski Park on June 6, 2016. Nebraska becomes the 27th state to confirm the presence of EAB, joining neighboring states of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. NDA has issued a quarantine (Oct 2018; PDF | 263 KB) prohibiting regulated articles from leaving the quarantine area.
University of Missouri Extension.
Professional
Citations
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Agrilus planipennis. [Accessed Sep 10, 2014].
- McCullough, D. and R. Usborne. 2015. Frequently Asked Questions. Michigan State University, Emerald Ash Borer Information Network.
- Poland, T.M., and D.G. McCullough. 2006. Emerald ash borer: invasion of the urban forest and the threat to North America's ash resource. Journal of Forestry 104(3):118-124.