Pennsylvanians Urged to Heed Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine When Hauling Firewood During Winter Months

Harrisburg – Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding reminded Pennsylvanians—particularly those that heat their homes using wood—that the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine remains in effect in 43 counties. The quarantine is designed to restrict the movement of ash materials and all hardwood firewood and wood chips.
“Consumers who use wood to heat their homes and businesses are urged to burn local firewood only and heed the restrictions on moving firewood from within the quarantined area,” said Redding. “By obeying the quarantine, we can help limit the further spread of the beetle.”
The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive, ash tree-killing beetle that threatens the state’s $25 billion hardwoods industry.
This summer, the department’s Emerald Ash Borer survey crews collected nearly 6,900 samples and tested 500,000 specimens from among 6,000 purple panel traps from ash trees in 21 counties.
The beetle has been found in 18 counties, including Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Centre, Clarion, Cumberland, Fulton, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Somerset, Union, Washington and Westmoreland.
As a result, the Agriculture department expanded its quarantine to include counties where the beetle was found this year, as well as in the contiguous counties of Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango and Warren.
The quarantine is intended to restrict the movement of ash nursery, green lumber, and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, from the quarantine area. Because it is difficult to distinguish between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood and wood chips—including ash, oak, maple and hickory—are considered quarantined.
The wood-boring beetle is native to China and eastern Asia. The pest likely arrived in North America in wooden shipping crates. It was first detected in July 2002 in southeastern Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In addition to Pennsylvania, the beetle is attacking ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Emerald ash borer galleries in infested ash tree