Emerald ash borer quarantine: what this means to you
January 21, 2010
698
On Jan. 14, the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) moved to place Holmes County under quarantine for emerald ash borer (EAB), a dangerous exotic insect that attacks native ash trees. The goal of this quarantine is to help slow the spread of the ash tree-killing insect to uninfested parts of the state.
Under this quarantine, it is against the law to move ash trees, parts of an ash tree and all hardwood firewood out of a quarantined county into a non-quarantined county. In Ohio, violators who transport hardwood firewood and ash tree materials into a non-quarantined area face fines of up to $4,000.
Additionally, a federal quarantine makes it illegal to transport those same items out of the state of Ohio. Federal fines can be much stiffer.
Why is all hardwood firewood, not just ash firewood, included in the quarantine? The reason is that once hardwood firewood is dry and split, it can be very difficult to tell ash apart from other species. So, to be safe, all hardwood firewood has been included in this provision. On the other hand, coniferous trees (i.e., pine, fir, cedar) are not included in the quarantine.
Businesses and individuals wishing to move ash trees, ash logs, or firewood into non-quarantined counties, or to receive such materials, can do so legally by entering into a state-approved compliance agreement. Those interested in an agreement need to contact ODA at 614-728-6270 or eab@agri.ohio.gov. For details, go to www.agri.ohio.gov/eab/ and click on Compliance.
Moving regulated materials from one quarantined county into another quarantined county is not illegal. However, Ohio State University Extension urges people to avoid moving firewood because of the risk of inadvertently transporting EAB and other invasive insects or diseases, which could result in further damages to our natural resources. Additionally, despite the fact that a county has been quarantined, EAB may not be present in that county or may only exist there at very low levels. By moving regulated materials into an area like this, you could potentially increase the spread of the insect and the speed of tree decline.
Originally from Asia, EAB has already killed millions of ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Canada. In Ohio, 67 of the states 88 counties are now regulated for EAB.
For details about Ohios EAB regulations, call ODA at 888-OHIO-EAB; or check out ODAs Web site, www.ohioagriculture.gov/eab/.
For a map of quarantined Ohio counties and to find out more about EAB, log on to www.ashalert.osu.edu.
