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Wisconsin places two more counties under EAB quarantine

One day afterthe gypsy moth quarantine area in Wisconsin was expanded, two more counties have been added to the emerald ash borer quarantine area. Vernon and Crawford Counties join Fond du Lac, Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Washington as counties where the insect is a threat. The latest expansion is the result of EABbeing found along the Mississippi River south of La Crosse a couple of weeks ago. The four eastern Wisconsin counties were quarantined last year when EAB was found along the Washington-Ozaukee county line.

Under the quarantine, businesses and residents in Vernon andCrawford County can no longer move these products out of the area: all hardwood firewood, ash timber, ash nursery stock, mulch, and manufactured ash products that have bark attached (e.g. pallets).

Businesses and industries may apply for compliance agreements through DATCPor the US Department of Agriculture that will allow them to move certain products at certain times of the year or if specific conditions are met. There are no such agreements available for homeowners or campers who want to move firewood.

Violating the quarantine is acriminal action and may result in a fine of up to $200, six months in jail, or both. If regulated materials cross the state line, federal penalties begin at $1,000.

The adult emerald ash borer is a metallic green insect about one-half inch long and one-eighth inch wide.The beetle larvae destroy the fluid-conducting vessels under the tree’s bark, essentially cutting off the flow of nutrients in the tree, leading to the tree’s decline and death.