October 8, 2008

LANSING - Michigan’s Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Response Project partners today confirmed an EAB infestation was discovered in Delta County in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) by personnel from the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service (USDA-FS). The infestation is located in Garden Township along U.S. Highway 2 near the Village of Garden Corners.

“The discovery of EAB in Delta County is disappointing, but not unexpected,” said Ken Rauscher, Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division Director, Michigan Department of Agriculture. “We are currently reviewing the Delta County infestation and are considering quarantine and management options.”

The other known infestations in the U.P. are located in Mackinac County near Moran and St. Ignace, just north of the Mackinac Bridge. These sites are being used as pilot mitigation projects as part of cooperative Slow Ash Mortality (SlAM) efforts sponsored by USDA. Additionally, there is an EAB infestation near the Village of Laurium in Calumet Township in Houghton County.

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

Individuals or businesses found violating the state’s EAB quarantine are subject to fines ranging from $1,000 to $250,000 and jail time of up to five years for moving regulated ash materials, as well as all species of hardwood firewood.

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.