LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – Calhoun, Union, and Bradley Counties have been added to confirmed sites of emerald ash borer. Original counties with confirmed sites included: Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Hot Spring, Nevada and Ouachita Counties. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that feeds on and eventually kills ash trees that are infested.
An ash quarantine was established in September of 2014 by the Arkansas Plant Board. The 25-county area included in the quarantine originally encompassed Calhoun, Union, and Bradley Counties. The quarantine, to date, has not changed. Traps have been placed outside the quarantined counties to monitor possible spread outside those boundaries and will yield results later this summer. EAB expansion into additional counties has been confirmed by positive trap findings and/or Plant Board inspections based on homeowner sightings. An expansion of the quarantine is possible, and will directly depend upon EAB trap findings.
Quarantined items continue to include firewood of all hardwood species, and the following ash items: nursery stock; green lumber with bark attached; other material living, dead, cut or fallen including logs, pulpwood, stumps, roots, branches, mulch and composted/un-composted chips (1 inch or greater). Firewood is the only quarantined item that relates to all hardwood; all other quarantined items are relative to ash, only.
Quarantined counties include the nine counties with confirmed EAB infestation sites (Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Hot Spring, Nevada, Ouachita, and Union); remaining counties in the quarantine area are considered “buffer” counties where EAB has not yet been found. Quarantined items can move freely within the quarantined area. The restrictions only apply to the movement of items listed within the quarantined counties to areas outside of them.
More about this can be read on the Outdoors Page of salineriverchronicle.com.
What should homeowners do? With EAB sighting/symptomatic tree, contact the Arkansas State Plant Board at 501-225-1598 or email eab@aspb.ar.gov. Homeowners should remember that EAB primarily attacks ash trees; Arkansas is home to five species of ash trees: Carolina, Green, Blue, White, and Pumpkin Ash. EAB has also been known to attack fringe trees. Find resources for EAB identification and details at the Arkansas State Plant Board, Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and Arkansas Forestry Commission sites, via the following links:
· Arkansas Ash Quarantine Map:
http://plantboard.arkansas.gov/PlantIndustry/Documents/EAB%20Quarantine%20area.jpg
· Ash Quarantine and Regulations:
http://plantboard.arkansas.gov/PlantIndustry/Documents/EAB%20Emergency%20Quarantine.pdf
· EAB Identification, Symptoms, Treatment, and Photos:
http://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/fsa-7066.pdf
· EAB Discussion/Presentation:
· http://www.uaex.edu/interactive-lessons/EAB-Lesson/story.html
· Ash Tree Identification: http://forestry.arkansas.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/Ash%20Tree%20Identification%20-%20Green,%20White,%20Carolina,%20Blue,%20and%20Pumpkin.pdf
