Emerald ash borer is headed this way. We don’t know exactly when it will get here. We do know that about 2/3 of the state is under a quarantine that doesn’t allow the movement of ash logs, chips and lumber into non-quarantined counties unless the logs/lumber/chips meet certain requirements. Bradford County is not yet under the quarantine. We also know that ash that is attacked will die. It may take two or three years but a successful attack is fatal to the attacked ash tree.
Here are some suggestions that may help a landowner deal with the certainties of EAB.
1. Don’t move firewood of any species. Use local firewood
2. Be alert to the condition of your ash component (a good publication to identify EAB is “Symptoms and Signs of the Emerald Ash Borer”, Extension Bulletin EAB – 2938-PSU, by Mary Wilson, MSU Extension and Eric Rebek, MSU, Dept. of Entomology).
3. Contact Cooperative Extension, DCNR Bureau of Forestry or Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture if you think you have EAB in your woods.
4. Determine the amount of ash in your woods. If you have an ash component that is greater than 10 – 15% of merchantable ash you may need to consider a harvest. At the same time you may carry out a timber stand improvement cut in the other species (“selective” cutting and only cutting trees above a certain diameter does not qualify as timber stand improvement)!
5. Learn all you can about EAB and your options by visiting websites, attending conferences and meetings, and reading material from creditable sources.
6. Contact your Bureau of Forestry service forester or your own forester and obtain his/her advice about managing your woods.
7. Obtain a forest management/stewardship plan or update your current plan with the appropriate EAB contingencies.
Even though emerald ash borer will likely have a large impact on the woodlands in Pennsylvania, it is not the time to panic. It is the time to obtain professional assistance and make knowledgeable decisions that will help you deal with this insect.
Evidence of woodpecker activity is a good sign of EAB infestation.
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