05-13-2009
Gov. Doyle Proclaims EAB Awareness Week, May 17-23, 2009

MADISON - Gov. Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin and 15 other states will observe Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week, May 17-23, 2009. Through a proclamation, Gov. Doyle urged state residents and visitors to become better educated about emerald ash borer and to take action to help slow the spread of this invasive pest.

"Wisconsin has a vast ash resource in our forests and in our communities," said Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Rod Nilsestuen. "Protecting this resource against the emerald ash borer is something we can all do by educating ourselves and taking action to help slow the spread of the tree-killing beetle across the state."

Since last summer, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed in two locations in Wisconsin: in the southeast in the Village of Newburg, and most recently in the small Vernon County community of Victory, along the Mississippi River.

To help recognize EAB Awareness Week, the state's multi-agency EAB Program unveiled a redesigned Web site and kicked-off a summer-long radio and TV outreach campaign.

"The Wisconsin EAB Web site is one of our best resources for people to not only learn more about EAB, but also how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an infestation and to report problems to the proper authorities," said Jennifer Statz, DATCP's EAB program manager.

A number of communities and organizations will also place lawn signs along busy streets to remind people about the risks involved with moving firewood, a practice that has spread the beetle further and faster than the insect could move on its own.

Residents and visitors to Wisconsin can help slow the spread of EAB and learn more about the pest in several ways:

* Follow all quarantine guidelines. For many people, that will mean not moving firewood out of the quarantined area.
* Learn about the signs and symptoms of EAB infestation, including the characteristics of an infested tree. This information can be found at the EAB Web site at www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov.
* Report suspicious ash trees or request information by calling the EAB hotline toll-free at 1-800-462-2803.

The beetle attacks all species of North American ash trees. In Wisconsin, ash species comprise an average of 20 percent of municipal trees and number approximately 765 million in the state's forests. The EAB larvae kill ash trees by destroying the soft layer of wood that moves water and nutrients throughout the tree beneath the bark.

Emerald ash borer is native to Asia. It was discovered near Detroit in 2002. Since then, it has spread to 10 states and two Canadian provinces, primarily through infested firewood. The beetle has killed millions of trees.

States joining Wisconsin to recognize EAB Awareness Week include Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Kansas and Nebraska.

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