Plant pest found near state border; DEP urges firewood precautions

Federal agricultural officials have confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer in Saugerties, N.Y., about 25 miles from the Connecticut border.

The state Department of Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station on Thursday alerted the public to the finding and asked people to report sightings.

The emerald ash borer has caused the death and decline of over 25 million ash trees in the United States since June 2002, the DEP said. Another invasive pest, the Asian longhorned beetle, was recently discovered in the Boston and Worcester, Mass., areas.

"The close proximity to Connecticut definitely places our ash trees at risk," said Christopher Martin, DEP's director of forestry, said.

Visual signs of infestation include D-shaped holes, bark splits and die-off of the tree's crown. White ash trees are most prominent in the northwest, southwest and east central sections of the state, Martin said.

About 3 percent of all trees in Connecticut are white ash, the DEP said. Emerald ash borers disperse readily on their own, but like other exotic pests can be spread when infested firewood is transported to new areas. The pests were found in a campground in Saugerties, suggesting firewood was the most likely source. The next nearest infestation is more than 200 miles west of Saugerties in Mifflin County, Pa.

The DEP and experiment station urged citizens not to transport firewood. They said people should buy firewood locally at or near the campground where they will be staying, burn all firewood at the campsite before leaving and never bring firewood home. For those who use firewood to heat their homes, the wood ideally should be from only a few miles away, or at least from within the same county, the DEP said.

Residents who suspect they have seen an emerald ash borer should report their findings to (203) 974-8474, (203) 974-8485, or by e-mail at CAES.StateEntomologist@ct.gov. Digital photos of suspect insects are very helpful.

To report sightings to the Department of Agriculture on the Web: www.aphis.usda.gov/.

Trees affected by the ash borer include white ash, black ash and green ash. Previous infestations have occurred in 15 other states.

More information and a photo of the emerald ash borer can be found at: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/eab.shtml