May 17, 2005
Governor declares May 22-28 Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Since the emerald ash borer was first discovered in Indiana in April 2004, four more sites have been quarantined and almost 90,000 Indiana ash trees have been cut down in an attempt to stop this invasive species.
Now with the onset of camping season, Purdue University, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service are looking to Hoosiers to help stop the insect's spread. Gov. Mitch Daniels has declared May 22-28 as Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in Indiana. The week is in conjunction with efforts in Michigan and Ohio, two states that also are dealing with emerald ash borers.
As part of Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week, the Department of Natural Resources and Purdue are issuing a firewood alert. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) larvae are easily transported in firewood, so campers are encouraged to leave their firewood at home and purchase wood near their campsites.
"We understand that many campers prefer to bring their own firewood, but we're asking that, whenever possible, they refrain from doing that," said Jodie Ellis, the exotic insects education coordinator at Purdue. "If people do bring firewood, we ask that they burn all the wood they brought with them and not leave it at the campsite. Indiana's first infestation of EAB was found in a private campground. It was likely brought there in infested firewood."
Firewood quarantines are in effect in Clay, Newbury and VanBuren townships in LaGrange County and Jamestown and Millgrove townships in Steuben County in northern Indiana, and in Michigan and Ohio. It's illegal to transport firewood from any area infested with EAB or across state lines from Michigan or any quarantined area in Ohio.
Even when traveling to and from areas that aren't quarantined, it's still a good idea to leave the firewood at home, Ellis said. It's possible there are some infestations that haven't yet been identified and that transporting the wood could inadvertently move the insect.
Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week culminates on Saturday, May 28, at the Nature Center at Pokagon State Park, located near Angola, Ind., off I-69. Representatives from Purdue, the DNR and USDA-APHIS will be on hand to discuss the insect. The daylong event includes games and giveaways, a survey demonstration, an emerald ash borer search conducted by a bloodhound, educational presentations and the introduction of the Indiana Emerald Ash Borer Project's new mascot, Eric the Emerald Ash Borer.
"There are approximately 7.5 billion ash trees at risk from EAB in the United States, and 150 million of those trees are in Indiana," Ellis said. "While that number may be hard to comprehend, rest assured the loss of those trees could have drastic effects on our ecosystem and on our municipal budgets. In a lot of cities and towns, up to 40 percent of street trees are ash trees. If EAB is not contained, all of those trees will have to be removed, destroyed and replaced. It becomes quite costly."
In addition to damaging personal property and recreational areas, emerald ash borer could be devastating to many North American industries. Approximately $25.1 billion worth of ash timber is grown in the eastern United States each year. Even the baseball industry could be affected. Many baseball bats, like Louisville Sluggers, are made of ash. Rake and shovel handles also are made from ash wood.
Emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage, but cause little damage. The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia.
More information about EAB is available online or by calling (866) NO-EXOTIC.
Note to Journalists: A news event about emerald ash borer is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EST on May 23 at the Pokagon State Park Nature Center. The event features a search for emerald ash borers by a bloodhound, updates on the emerald ash borer project in Indiana, IDNR director Kyle Hupfer and state entomologist Bob Waltz. More information about the event is available from Purdue Agricultural Communications by calling (765) 494-6682.
Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu
Source: Jodie Ellis, (765) 494-0822, ellisj@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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