Emerald Ash Borer Community Meetings Planned

Monday, October 26, 2015 | 03:59pm

NASHVILLE - A series of community meetings will be held to help to educate area citizens and other stakeholders about newly quarantined counties for emerald ash borer (EAB). Conducted by Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry, the meetings will focus on the biology of EAB, signs and symptoms of infestation, and how EAB quarantines impact infested and surrounding counties.

The community meetings include:

  • Oct. 27 - Williamson Co.  - UT Extension office Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin at 6 p.m.
  • Nov. 3 - Marshall Co. - UT Extension office in Lewisburg at 6 p.m.
  • Nov. 5 - Rutherford Co. - UT Extension Office Rutherford County Community Center Classroom, Lane Agripark in Murfreesboro at 6:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 9 - Wilson/Trousdale Counties - Fiddlers Grove Town Hall at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center and Fairgrounds in Lebanon at 6:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 12 - Franklin Co. - UT Extension Office in Winchester at 6 p.m.

Contact state Forest Health unit leader Heather Slayton at 615-218-4377 or Heather.Slayton@tn.gov for more information. 

EAB is a destructive forest pest that was introduced from Asia into the United States in the 1990s and can kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and USDA-APHIS have worked together to identify infestation using purple box traps placed in trees across the state.

The EAB quarantine prohibits the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber and other material that can spread the pests. Citizens should report any symptomatic ash trees to the TDA Division of Forestry and follow these simple rules: 

  • Don’t transport firewood, even within the state
  • Use firewood from local sources near where it will be burned
  • If you purchase firewood, make sure that is labeled and certified to be pest free
  • Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees

The Division of Forestry estimates that there are 261 million ash trees on public and private land in Tennessee, potentially valued as high as $9 billion. For more information about EAB and other destructive forest pests and tips to protect your trees, visit www.protecttnforests.org.

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