Pennsylvania to Lift Ash Borer Quarantine

Emerald ash borer larvae feed on the vascular systems of American ash trees leaving S-shaped tunnels under the tree's bark. Over time the damage to the vascular tissue is fatal to trees.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has announced that the state Emerald Ash Borer quarantine restricting the in-state movement of ash materials and all hardwood firewood will be lifted April 15. However, a federal quarantine remains in effect.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a highly invasive, wood-boring beetle that kills ash trees and poses a threat to the state's $25 billion hardwoods industry.

''Lifting our quarantine will allow free movement on Emerald Ash Borer-regulated materials within Pennsylvania,'' said acting Agriculture Secretary George Greig. ''As Emerald Ash Borer has moved rapidly across the state, the in-state quarantine restrictions no longer serve a productive purpose.''

Because of the beetle's aggressive movement across Pennsylvania, the in-state quarantine - initially intended to slow the pest's spread - is now unnecessary.

Since 2007, when the Emerald Ash Borer was first observed in Butler County, the pest has been found in 17 additional counties, including Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Centre, Clarion, Cumberland, Fulton, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Somerset, Union, Washington and Westmoreland.

The state quarantine includes the counties where the beetle was found in addition to the contiguous counties, for a total of 43.

A parallel federal quarantine, also established in 2007, will remain effective in Pennsylvania to help stop the spread into other states.

International and federal interstate restrictions will apply to exporting Emerald Ash Borer-regulated materials from Pennsylvania to non-quarantined domestic areas and regulating countries.