Green Horizons

Effective December 1, 2006, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has expanded the emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine to include the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

This federal order prohibits the interstate movement of regulated articles that originate within the quarantine area. These items include: ash nursery stock, ash green lumber, and any other ash materials including logs, stumps, roots, branches, as well as composted and uncomposted wood chips. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between species of hardwood firewood, ALL hardwood firewood, including ash, oak, maple and hickory are included in this quarantine.

APHIS is taking this action in response to the extremely destructive nature of this invasive plant pest and the significant threat it poses to the ash resource in our nation’s forests and residential landscapes. The quarantine regulations will help mitigate the spread of the pest while the science community continues to develop solutions to combat EAB.

For more information on EAB and APHIS’ expanded quarantine, please visit www.aphis.usda.gov. GH