Ledger Independent
Maysville, Kentucky
By WENDY MITCHELL, Staff Writer | Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2010 11:00 pm
Officials across the region are taking a swing at stemming the spread of Emerald Ash Borer insects.
The ash trees destroyed by EAB infestations are the same tree species used to make Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
According to www.slugger.com, the bat maker 's Web site, "At this point there has been no impact on the bat industry or (Major League Baseball). The insect has not reached the area along the Pennsylvania/New York border where Louisville Slugger harvests trees to make baseball bats. However, there is reason for serious concern. The EAB was discovered in western Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007. At the current rate of progression, the insect very well could impact the forests where timber for bats comes from within a few years, if not sooner."
Creeping into Ohio in 2002, Emerald Ash Borers have placed dozens of counties in Ohio and Kentucky under quarantine conditions.
Ohio officials recently added Adams, Brown and Highland counties to a list of Ohio counties which, though not containing the damaging insects, are close enough to affected locations to warrant caution when working with timber and firewood transportation.
A federal law makes it illegal to take ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood from any quarantined county, out of Ohio, officials said.
Similar rules are in place in Kentucky, Kentucky Department of Agriculture officials said.
According to a notice from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, "... the quarantine makes it illegal to transport ash trees, parts of ash trees and all hardwood firewood from any quarantined county into or through a non- quarantined county without a compliance agreement from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Violation of this quarantine could result in fines up to $4,000."
Ash trees infested with EAB typically die within five years.
Believed to have come to the U.S. on wood packing materials from Asian countries, EAB have been identified as infecting ash trees in a dozen U.S. states and part of Canada, officials said.
EAB belong to a group of metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length, one-eighth inch wide, and fly from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees and leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide when they emerge as adults, officials said.
Discovered in Kentucky in 2006, EAB identification in several counties and quarantine regulations in nearby counties prompted 31 Kentucky state parks to issue a ban on firewood purchased or brought in from outside the county where each park is located, officials said.
Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant, Gallatin, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bourbon, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Oldham, Scott, Shelby, Trimble, Woodford, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Jessamine and Shelby counties, have been identified as locations with EAB, officials said.
In 2009, the only exception in both states was bundled firewood which had been stamped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as clean wood.
For the 2010 camping season, the Kentucky Department of Parks will implement an all inclusive ban on the import of fire wood into the state parks unless it is bundled, stamped USDA certified clean wood, park officials said.
If the ash trees for baseball bats are decimated, officials are already looking into alternative woods for their products.
"Louisville Slugger's timber division is working closely with the USDA and the state department of agriculture in Pennsylvania and other states to monitor the situation as these government agencies try to stop the emerald ash borers spread," officials said.
Louisville Slugger officials had one suggestion for saving the ash trees, "Don't transport firewood."
For information on the Emerald Ash Borer go to www.agri.ohio.gov or call 1-888-OHIO-EAB.
In Kentucky, if you suspect you may have EAB in your ash trees, call 1-859-257-5838.
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