November 1, 2007

LANSING - Michigan’s Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Response team confirmed an EAB infestation at the Straits State Park in St. Ignace located in Mackinac County. This Upper Peninsula (U.P.) discovery was made during the removal and inspection of a 2007 detection tree established by Michigan Tech University.

“This discovery further underscores the need for travelers to stop moving firewood,” said Don Koivisto, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA). “It’s critical that we slow the spread of EAB to allow science to provide additional research to offer a long-term eradication solution if we are to be successful in preserving Michigan’s rich natural resources.”

“We encourage campers to purchase local firewood at their destination, and to not transport firewood to state parks and state forest campgrounds. Movement of infested wood is the quickest way to spread EAB,” said Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “We must protect our forests from the immediate threat EAB poses, while managing these resources long-term.”

Over the next several weeks, MDA crews will be conducting intensive surveys in a half-mile area around the St. Ignace site to determine the extent of EAB infestation. The results of those surveys will determine what action the state will take.

"Michigan continues to implement an approach within available resources to respond to this devastating pest," said Koivisto. "Curbing the spread of EAB and protecting the ash resource in Michigan hinges on a stable federal funding commitment."

EAB 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 25 million ash trees in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada.

Residents are encouraged to continue to report suspect EAB infestations in the U.P. by calling the toll-free EAB hotline at 866-325-0023.

For more information about EAB, please visit www.michigan.gov/eab or www.emeraldashborer.info. Residents may also contact their regional MDA office or their local Michigan State University extension or conservation district office.