"This is a significant find underscoring the importance of not moving hardwood firewood in Michigan," said Mitch Irwin, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA). "Based upon extensive visual survey conducted this summer in state, national and private campgrounds across the U.P., this appears to be an isolated infestation, and we are responding quickly and aggressively to eradicate it."

Survey crews from MDA, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Michigan Technological University (MTU) and the U.S. Forest Service spent the summer surveying high-risk areas in the U.P. for signs of EAB. High-risk areas include all campgrounds (national, state and privately owned), boat launches and lake associations with high tourist/camper traffic.

The infestation at Brimley State Park is the first place where EAB has been found in the U.P. Detection trees established by MTU yielded two EAB larvae in early September. A detection tree is a selected ash tree that has been "girdled" – a process removing a ring of bark from the tree trunk – to stress the tree. Research has shown EAB adults are more likely to lay eggs on stressed trees.

Researchers and Response Project partners will implement the appropriate actions for eradicating the infestation. "The eradication strategy for areas like Brimley includes removal of all ash trees within a half-mile from any known site of infestation," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. "We must protect our forests from the immediate threat that EAB presents while managing these resources long-term."

"Despite the federal government's funding reduction this year, the Governor's office is working aggressively with our Congressional delegation to make sure we have adequate federal dollars for 2006," said Patricia Lockwood, EAB policy director for Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "Without a stronger federal commitment, the risk of EAB spreading across North America is greatly increased."

Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic, aggressive beetle native to Asia and was discovered in southeast Michigan in 2002. To date, the pest is responsible for the death or damage of approximately 15 million ash trees in the 20 quarantined counties and 27 outliers. Outliers are areas of pest populations found outside of the 20-county quarantine.

For more information about EAB, please visit one of these Web sites: www.michigan.gov/eab or www.emeraldashborer.info. You may also contact your regional MDA office, or your local Michigan State University Extension or conservation district office.