July 15, 2004 - As a precaution and in order to prevent further devastation caused by the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has amended the state’s Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine, effective today, according to MDA Director Dan Wyant.

Wyant explained that today’s action identifies and regulates two additional “outlier” sites that were found infested with EAB and located outside the 13-county quarantined area of Southeast Michigan. Both sites currently have eradication (tree removal) and/or containment (combination of ash tree removal and trap/sentinel trees) activities underway. They include portions of the following cities/townships or sections within:

Branch County - Algansee Township, City of Coldwater, Coldwater Township, Quincy Township and Ovid Township. 
Roscommon County – Richfield Township
(NOTE: Please visit www.michigan.gov/mda for copies of maps highlighting these two areas and outlining specific boundaries.)

Under the quarantine, it is illegal to move ash trees, branches, lumber, firewood and other materials from these areas unless chipped to one inch.

“This is an important precaution to help ensure that the state is quickly incorporating new information as it develops to prevent further spread and minimize the economic and environmental damage this pest is capable of causing,” Wyant said. “In order to be successful, however, this effort also requires the awareness and cooperation of all Michigan residents, especially those living, doing business, or visiting quarantined areas.”

Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic insect native to Asia that attacks ash trees and was previously unknown on the North American continent until its discovery in Michigan during the summer of 2002. The borer has already devastated approximately eight million ash trees in the primary impacted six-county core zone in Southeast Michigan. EAB continues to damage or destroy trees in this region as well as infest other areas in various counties and communities due mainly to the pre-quarantine movement of ash materials or firewood. The state has an active, multi-agency Emerald Ash Borer Task Force working collectively to detect, contain and eradicate EAB and minimize its damage.

• Official Quarantine Revision
• Latest Quarantine Area Maps