Front Line of Emerald Ash Borer Eradication

  • The Emerald Ash Borer may be small, but it can devastate communities of ash trees. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Agriculture)

Government officials are beginning to cut down ash trees in some parts of the region to try to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer. The destructive insect shipped in from Asia has been destroying ash trees in the region since 2002. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:

Transcript

Government officials are beginning to cut down ash trees in some
parts of the region to try to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer. The
destructive insect shipped in from Asia has been destroying ash trees in the
region since 2002. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:


In the U.S., Michigan is throwing up the first line of defense against the emerald ash borer by
cutting down ash trees. Sara Linsmeier-Wurfel is with the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
The agency will begin cutting down hundreds of ash trees around isolated pockets of emerald ash
borer infestations. It’s an attempt to stop the insect from spreading to other areas.


“And we’re doing our best to protect not only our resources, but those of the other Great Lakes
states and Canada.”


In Canada, Ontario is also cutting down ash trees. But the London Free Press newspaper reports
one company contracted to cut down ash trees in infested areas mistakenly cut down black walnut
trees instead.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

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