July 9, 2003 - Michigan officials today provided an update on the state’s plans for the next six months of the eradication efforts to control Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), the destructive insect killing millions of ash trees in Southeast Michigan.

Plans were cooperatively developed by the state’s Emerald Ash Borer Task Force, which is comprised of the Michigan Departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan State University (MSU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Forest Service.

“The state’s response to this pest must be thoughtful, scientific and aggressive,” MDA Director Dan Wyant said. “Task force efforts over the next six months will be critical in setting the tone for the many years of hard work that lie ahead to successfully defeat the Emerald Ash Borer.”

“Emerald Ash Borer has the potential to destroy Michigan’s ash trees,” DNR Director K.L. Cool said. “The statewide EAB Task Force brings together a diverse group with a shared commitment to protecting our resources. But our ultimate success against EAB will require the help and awareness of every Michigan resident and visitor.”

“The guidelines outlined in the Michigan EAB control and eradication plan are based upon the best scientific knowledge available to us,” said MSU’s Dr. Gary Lemme, Associate Director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.

“The environmental emergency caused by the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer to the United States requires a concerted effort by government agencies, communities, private land owners, and citizens to resolve,” said Kathryn Maloney, USDA Forest Service.

This year’s efforts focus primarily on determining the “leading edge” of the infestation through field surveys and preventing the further spread of the borer and reducing pest populations.  To accomplish this goal, the EAB Task Force is implementing an eradication strategy that establishes distinct management zones aimed at detection, containment, and ultimately eradication.

Core Zone
The first management zone is the “core” zone, which is the known-infested area. 

It includes the following villages, cities and/or townships:

• All of Wayne County;
• All of Oakland County except Addison and Leonard;
• Most of Macomb County except Armada, Bruce, Lenox, Ray and Richmond;
• In Washtenaw County – Ann Arbor, Augusta, Barton Hills, Dexter, Lodi, Northfield, Pittsfield, Salem, Saline, Scio, Superior, Webster, York and Ypsilanti;
• In Livingston County – Brighton, Genoa, Green Oak, Hamburg, Hartland and Oceola; and
• In Monroe County – Ash, Berlin, Carleton, Dundee, Estral Beach, Exeter, Frenchtown, London, Maybee, Milan and Raisinville.

In this zone, EAB populations are high enough that traditional eradication strategies are ineffective and not a viable option. It is projected that severe natural populations will eventually subside as the ash tree food source is depleted.

The key strategic components for the core zone include:

Tree removal 
Emerald Ash Borer is 100 percent fatal to an ash tree, and the best science to date indicates that little can be done to save ash trees once they have become infested.  The only option is to remove the tree before dead or dying limbs and branches cause personal injury or property damage. Per USDA’s invasive species protocol, initial funding is targeted to preventing the spread of EAB, and protecting Michigan’s remaining 670 million ash trees outside the infested core area. Under current funding restrictions, there are no dollars to remove trees on private or public property in the infested core zone. Tree removal is the responsibility of individual property owners and local units of government, though there are ongoing efforts to identify other potential resources. Those needing to have ash trees removed should hire a reputable tree care company or arborist, be wary of companies promising “cure alls,” and should not transport ash trees or woody debris, except to a designated disposal site within the core.  For more information on hiring a tree care company, visit www.michigan.gov/mda.

Disposal sites 
Michigan has opened four disposal sites to date where municipalities, private contractors and homeowners can drop off ash trees/materials free of charge.  These sites are located across the core zone in Macomb, Plymouth, Pontiac, and Westland.  The disposal sites are open to help communities and homeowners impacted by EAB infestations that have dead or dying ash trees, to properly contain and control the movement of these materials, and to reduce pest presence.

Quarantine enforcement
When EAB was first discovered and identified last summer, MDA quarantined six counties known to be infested (Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne).  The quarantine, which is still in effect, prohibits the movement of ash trees and material –including firewood – out of these counties. The quarantine is a critical component of the state’s eradication efforts and Southeast Michigan residents’ compliance with the quarantine is integral to the success of the eradication plan.

Suppression and Firebreak Zone Outside of Core Zone
The second primary management zone consists of the communities and townships along a six-mile ring – sometimes referred to as the Suppression and Firebreak Zones – around the known-infested core area.

This zone includes the following villages, cities and/or townships:

• Genesee County – Argentine, Atlas, Burton, Clayton, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Gaines, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Linden, Mundy and Swartz Creek;
• Lapeer County – Almont, Attica, Dryden, Elba, Hadley, Lapeer and Metamora;
• Lenawee County – Blissfield, Briton, Clinton, Deerfield, Franklin, Macon, Palmyra, Raisin, Ridgeway, Riga and Tecumseh;
• Livingston County – Cohoctah, Conway, Deerfield, Handy, Howell, Iosco, Marion, Putnam, Tyrone and Unadilla;
• Macomb County – Armada, Bruce, Lenox, Memphis, New Haven, Ray, and Richmond;
• Monroe County – Bedford, Erie, Ida, LaSalle, Luna Pier, Monroe, Petersburg, Summerfield and Whiteford;
• Oakland County – Addison and Leonard;
• Shiawassee County – Antrim, Burns and Byron;
• St. Clair County – Algonac, Berlin, Casco, China, Clay, East China, Columbus, Cottrellville, Fort Gratiot, Ira, Marine City, Marysville, Port Huron, Riley, St. Clair, and Wales; and
• Washtenaw County – Bridgewater, Chelsea, Dexter, Freedom, Lima, Lyndon, Manchester, Sharon and Sylvan.

Efforts in these communities will focus primarily in pinpointing how far and how much EAB has spread. Components for this zone include:

Surveys
Over the next several months, 84 surveyors – identifiable in bright green vests, picture identification badges, and clearly marked vehicles – will work in teams inspecting ash trees along the perimeter of the known-infested area searching for signs of EAB infestation.  The data collected from these surveys will be critical in honing the state’s strategy to successfully contain, and ultimately eradicate EAB. Residents are urged to cooperate with the EAB surveyors when it is necessary to inspect ash trees on private property.

Response to Survey Finds
After the leading edge of the infestation is determined by the survey, state officials will remove live host ash trees to contain the expansion of the borer. The intent is to remove enough of the insect’s food source between known infested trees and non-infested trees to prevent the insect from spreading outside of this zone.

Tree Restoration
Another key element of the state’s EAB plan is to encourage the replanting of trees in the impacted areas.  Tree restoration efforts will focus on replanting and maintaining a diversity of tree species suited for local conditions that gradually restore the tree canopy cover of Southeast Michigan’s urban areas.  DNR will work collaboratively with MDA and MSU as well as federal and private sector partners to assist communities with replanting efforts.

Remainder of State
Emerald Ash Borer is not just a problem for residents in the Southeast Michigan/Detroit Metro area, it is a concern for all Michigan residents. Trees in popular vacation spots throughout the state are potentially at risk if infested ash trees, materials, or firewood is brought in from the infested area. All Michigan residents planning camping or other outdoor activities are advised to use local sources of firewood, and burn all firewood completely before returning home.

Anyone who thinks they have inadvertently moved ash firewood out of the quarantined area, or who suspects an ash tree is infested that is outside of the quarantine, should report it immediately via the state's toll-free Emerald Ash Borer hotline at 866/325-0023.

Property and woodlot owners across Michigan are also urged to beware of timber buyers trying to pressure them into selling their ash for timber. Landowners approached by timber buyers to sell ash trees, or any trees, are encouraged to get a second opinion before agreeing to any harvesting activity.

Isolated Infestations Outside of Quarantined Counties
The EAB task force also has an aggressive plan in place to contain and eradicate any isolated infestations outside of the core zone and quarantined counties. Small isolated infestations are anticipated and planned for occurrences in pest eradication programs. These “regulatory incidents” typically happen when infested ash trees or material is accidentally or illegally transported out of the quarantined area.  In any such infestation, the state will work closely with local communities and take action to eliminate EAB by using proactive and comprehensive pest management strategies that are based on sound science and geographic conditions. For example, officials are implementing such strategies in incidents at Tipton in Lenawee County, Chelsea in central Washtenaw County and Riley Township in St. Clair County. Responses are also being formulated in a handful of other potential areas in the state pending further information and confirmation of the borer’s presence.

The Emerald Ash Borer Task force wishes to thank communities, property owners, residents and the nursery, landscape and forestry industries for their support and cooperation as we share the burden of eradicating this destructive pest, and restoring the treescape of our residential and forested areas to their natural beauty.

For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mda and click on “Emerald Ash Borer” in the Spotlight section, or contact your local Michigan State University Extension Service office.