Douglas County Quarantined, Officials Confirm the Presence of Emerald Ash Borer in the City of Superior

My husband and I have a wood burner so we are very conscious of where we can get the wood we burn.  We found that there are certain counties in Wisconsin that won't allow the transport of wood across county lines due to gypsy moths and the emerald ash borer beetle.  I was surprised to hear that they are now as close as the City of Superior! 

City of Superior officials confirmed the presence of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in the city's north end, resulting in Douglas County being quarantined. The quarantine will prohibit some wood products from being moved out of the county to areas that are not infested.

What does this mean for you?  You cannot take firewood from Douglas County to non-quarantine counties. For businesses handling wood products that could carry EAB, it means that they must work with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to ensure that their products are pest-free before shipping.

On Wednesday, August 7, members of the City of Superior tree crew were conducting a routine removal of a dead ash tree from the boulevard on Grand Avenue and observed symptoms of emerald ash borer.  Then,  while inspecting a tree located at North 5th Street and Baxter Avenue, they secured a sample of an insect closely resembling the Emerald Ash Borer.

According to Mayor Bruce Hagen, the City has taken steps in recent years to prepare for an EAB infestation. "In 2009, the City conducted a tree survey of all boulevard, park, and golf course trees," he said. "We know that we have approximately 3,000 ash trees and we know where they are located," he added. "In addition, in 2011 we purchased a new chipper that can chip the ash trees to a dimension of one inch by one inch, which is considered a processing option that eliminates EAB," said Hagen.

Property owners who are concerned about trees on private property should take these measures:

• Visit www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov for detailed information.
• Contact the University of Wisconsin Horticulture and Agriculture Educator at 715-395-1515 with questions.
• Consult a professional arborist for expert advice.
• Consider planting different species of trees that are not susceptible to EAB.

Residents are reminded not to haul any ash residue out of the City of Superior and Douglas County.

Citizens who are concerned about boulevard trees or other trees in the public right-of-way should contact the Parks & Recreation Division at 715-395-7270.