Country: United States

Title: The entire state of West Virginia and three counties in Wisconsin added to the quarantine area for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis)

Contact:
Paul Chaloux, EAB National Program Manager, (301) 734-0917

Report:

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the identification of EAB in Fayette and Morgan Counties in West Virginia. Recently, the presence of EAB was also confirmed in Roane County. Previously, APHIS had established quarantine areas only Fayette and Morgan Counties due to the establishment and enforcement of equivalent State quarantines. West Virginia has now rescinded their EAB quarantines. For this reason, APHIS is establishing quarantine for the entire State of West Virginia in order to prevent the spread of EAB to other states.

 

APHIS is also establishing Milwaukee County in Wisconsin as a quarantine area due to the confirmed identification of EAB. This detection resulted when city public works officials in Franklin, Wisconsin noticed and reported ash trees showing symptoms of EAB infestation. Racine and Waukesha Counties are being established as quarantine areas due to their close proximity to this detection.

 

Effective immediately, all interstate movement of EAB-regulated articles from West Virginia and Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha Counties in Wisconsin must be handled in accordance with the Federal Orders. Specifically, the interstate movement of EAB-host wood and wood products from these counties is regulated, including firewood of all hardwood species, nursery stock, green lumber, waste, compost, and chips of ash species. 

 

EAB is present in some parts of the United States. Currently Brown, Crawford, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Vernon, and Washington Counties in Wisconsin are quarantine areas for EAB, together with the entire States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Portions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the entirety of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula; twenty counties in Kentucky; Prince George’s and Charles Counties in Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudon, and Prince William Counties, along with the independent Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia; Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties in New York; Fayette and Morgan Counties in West Virginia; Hennepin, Houston and Ramsey Counties in Minnesota; Wayne County in Missouri; and Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania are also quarantine areas.

 

EAB is an invasive wood boring beetle that is native to China and eastern Asia. EAB probably arrived in North America hidden in wood packing materials commonly used to ship consumer and other goods. It was first detected in the United States in southeastern Michigan. Since then, EAB has been responsible for the death and decline of more than 50 million ash trees in the United States. The interstate movement of firewood from quarantine areas is an especially high-risk pathway for spreading EAB, and APHIS is working with State cooperators and foresters to raise awareness amongst the public concerning this threat.

Under IPPC Standards, Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is considered to be a pest that is present in some parts of the United States and subject to official control to prevent further spread.

 

Posted Date: Oct. 8, 2009, 9 a.m.