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Massachusetts quarantines target Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced that the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine area is in effect state-wide as of Monday, November 17, 2014. The quarantine area previously covered only Berkshire and Essex County.

The quarantine order means that certain products will be prohibited from moving outside the regulated area, including all hardwood firewood (any piece of wood smaller than 48 inches), all ash nursery stock, and any ash lumber that has not been treated. Proper wood treatments include the removal of the bark plus an additional half an inch of wood, dry kiln sterilization, or fumigation/heat treatments.

Ash trees also remain one of the 13 regulated host trees for the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). The 110 square mile ALB regulated area in Worcester County restricts the movement beyond the regulated boundaries of ash along with any other ALB host tree. The ALB regulated area includes Worcester, Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Boylston, and parts of Holden and Auburn.

To clarify the ALB quarantine: It is permitted to move uninfected ash wood, firewood and nursery stock anywhere in the state, except for the ALB quarantine zone. Moving these items out of state requires investigating the destination state’s policies regarding ALB.

Image Credit: Karen Snover-Clift, Cornell University, Bugwood.org

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