Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Date: April 22, 2009

MADISON—The number of counties in Wisconsin under quarantine for the
emerald ash borer EAB) has now grown by two. Vernon and Crawford
counties are the latest to be added to the state’s list of counties
where the movement of hardwood firewood and other products is
restricted in an effort to slow the spread of the tiny, green
ash-killing beetle.

Emerald ash borer was discovered in Vernon County earlier this month
in the small riverside community of Victory. Additional counties
already under quarantine for EAB include Fond du Lac, Ozaukee,
Sheboygan and Washington.

“The quarantine on firewood and ash products is an important step in
slowing the spread of EAB
in Western Wisconsin,” said Bob Dahl, plant protection section chief
with the Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). “On
its own, EAB
spreads slowly throughout an area. But hidden beneath the bark of
firewood, logs, or nursery
stock, the pest can move across the country in a day.”

Under the quarantine, businesses and residents in Vernon and Crawford
County can no longer
move these products out of the area: all hardwood firewood, ash
timber, ash nursery stock, mulch, and manufactured ash products that
have bark attached (e.g. pallets).

Businesses and industries may apply for compliance agreements through
DATCP or the US
Department of Agriculture that will allow them to move certain
products at certain times of the
year or if specific conditions are met. There are no such agreements
available for homeowners or
campers who want to move firewood.

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.

The adult emerald ash borer is a metallic green insect about one-half
inch long and one-eighth
inch wide. The beetle larvae destroy the fluid-conducting vessels
under the tree’s bark,
essentially cutting off the flow of nutrients in the tree, leading to
the tree’s decline and death.

EAB is native to Asia and is believed to have accidentally arrived in
North America in the 1990s
via shipping containers.

More information about emerald ash borer and quarantine issues can be
found at
www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov.