March 25, 2004 - Based upon the results of extensive survey activities, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has amended the state’s Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine, effective today, according to MDA Director Dan Wyant. (Click here for official proclamation.)

“This action is part of the state’s overall EAB response and eradication strategy and helps 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 doing business, living or visiting any area included in the quarantine.”

The destructive invasive insect was first identified in Michigan in July 2002. MDA issued a quarantine prohibiting the movement of all ash trees, materials and firewood from the affected counties of Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne. In August 2003, the quarantine was expanded to include the surrounding seven counties of Shiawassee, Jackson, Ingham, Lenawee, Genesee, Lapeer, and St. Clair as a buffer.

Today’s action now also identifies and regulates eight “outlier” (isolated pockets of infestation apart from the known generally infested area resulting from artificial movement rather than natural spread) sites. These new quarantined outlier sites are located outside the 13-county quarantine of Southeast Michigan and include the following cities/townships or sections within:

• Berrien Co. – St. Joseph
  
  
• Calhoun County – Albion, Marshall
  
  
• Eaton County – Delta Township, Potterville
  
  
• Kent County – Wyoming
  
  
• Saginaw County – Shields, St. Charles

For maps with specific boundaries of these outlier site quarantines, visit www.michigan.gov/mda. The quarantine provisions for outlier sites are the same as the 13-county quarantine, no firewood of any type or ash material greater than one-inch chips can be moved from the regulated area.

Wyant noted that the above sites are currently undergoing eradication and/or interim containment (ash tree removal and trap/sentinel trees) activities to eliminate and control the borer. Including them in the quarantine is simply an extra precaution to help prevent any potential EAB spread. 

Additionally, the “core” area of general EAB infestation is being redefined based on the survey data that has been collected over the past seven months. Under the provisions of this quarantine, regulated material is prohibited from leaving the identified core, not even to the remaining quarantined areas. Townships, and all villages and/or cities contained within, now included in the core are (please see attached map) are:

• Genesee – Argentine, Atlas, Burton, Clayton, Davison, Fenton, Gainee, Grand Blanc, and Mundy, plus all of Flint
  
  
• Ingham – Leroy, Locke, Stockbridge, and White Oak
  
  
• Jackson – Blackman, Columbia, Grass Lake, Henrietta, Leoni, Liberty, Napoleon, Norvell, Summit, Rives, and Waterloo
  
  
• Lapeer – Almont, Attica, Dryden, Elba, Hadley, Imlay, Lapeer, and Metamora
  
  
• Livingston – Entire county; adding Cohoctah, Conway, Deerfield, Handy, Howell, Iosco, Marion, Putnam, Tyrone, and Unadilla
  
  
• Macomb –Entire county; adding Armada, Bruce, Lenox, Ray, and Richmond
  
  
• Monroe – Entire county; adding Bedford, Erie, Ida, LaSalle, Monroe, Summerfield, and Whiteford
  
  
• Oakland – Entire county; adding Addison
  
  
• Washtenaw – Entire county; adding Bridgewater, Dexter, Freedom, Lima, Lyndon, Manchester, Sharon, and Sylvan
  
  
• Wayne – Entire county

The quarantine amendment also cancels the end-date of the moratorium on the sale and movement of ash nursery stock in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The prohibition on the sale and movement of ash nursery trees was scheduled to expire on Aug. 5, 2004. It will now continue indefinitely until the risk of spreading EAB is eliminated.

Michigan has been working to detect, contain and eradicate EAB since its initial discovery in the summer not even two years ago. The pest causes mortality in ash trees and, to date, has impacted nearly six million ash trees in the southeastern part of the state. Michigan is home to an estimated 700 million ash trees total. The state has an active, multi-agency Emerald Ash Borer Task Force working to control and eradicate EAB and minimize its damage.

For more information, visit the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Website, or www.emeraldashborer.info or contact your regional MDA, Michigan Department of Natural Resources or local Michigan State University Extension offices.

Links:

3/25/04 EAB Revised Quarantine Order

3/25/04 EAB Quarantine Map