State expands quarantine on ash trees to stop infestation

Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic insect native to Asia that attacks ash trees and was previously unknown on the North American continent until its discovery in Michigan during the summer of 2002. The borer has already devastated approximately eight million ash trees in the primary impacted six-county core zone in Southeast Michigan. EAB continues to damage or destroy trees in this region as well as infest other areas in various counties and communities due mainly to the pre-quarantine movement of ash materials or firewood.

In an effort to stop the spread of emerald ash borer in Michigan, the state Department of Agriculture announced Thursday it's expanding a quarantine on ash trees to parts of Roscommon and Branch counties.

According to MDA Director Dan Wyant, today’s action identifies and regulates two additional “outlier” sites that were found infested with EAB and located outside the 13-county quarantined area of Southeast Michigan. Both sites currently have eradication (tree removal) and/or containment (combination of ash tree removal and trap/sentinel trees) activities underway.

Under the quarantine, it is illegal to move ash trees, branches, lumber, firewood and other materials from these areas unless chipped to one inch.