March 15, 2005

Indiana, Michigan, Ohio team up to fight emerald ash borer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An April 9 workshop will give Indiana homeowners and woodlot owners a chance to learn more about emerald ash borer and what to expect if the invasive pest enters their neighborhood.

During the Tri-State Emerald Ash Borer Workshop at Pokagon State Park, near Angola, Ind., experts will cover what Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are doing about emerald ash borer (EAB) and what property owners can do. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

"This workshop is designed for homeowners and landowners in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio who are concerned about EAB," said Jodie Ellis, the exotic insects education coordinator at Purdue University. "It is a perfect opportunity for citizens to learn about the EAB problem in detail and to find out what their options are, while meeting their neighbors in other states who have the same problems."

Advance registration is required. The cost is $20 per person until March 31 and $30 from April 1-5. Lunch, refreshments and an information packet from all three states are included in the cost.

Ellis said that citizens sometimes help spread emerald ash borer through firewood and nursery stock without even knowing it.

"In the case of stopping EAB, the average citizen has a real role to play," she said. "One of the most important things we can do is to truly understand the risks we take when moving firewood from place to place and to hopefully come up with a better idea."

Bob Waltz, Indiana's state entomologist; Dan Herms, an Extension entomologist at Ohio State University; and Sharon Lucik, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, will start the workshop by talking about the insect, the extent of the infestation and how it affects ash tree owners.

"EAB is a bit different that other invasive forest insects. It's worse than most because it threatens to remove ash trees as a species from North America," Ellis said. "Not many insects, or for that matter, not many invasive species in general, have that kind of power."

Following lunch, the workshop will split into two sessions, one on woodland management and another on backyard management.

Woodland management topics and speakers are:

• Woodland management/regeneration/tree planting, Dan Ernst, assistant state forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

• Timber marketing and sources of assistance, Kathy Smith, Extension forestry associate, Ohio State University Extension.

• Utilization options, Dan Cassens, Extension secondary wood products specialist, Purdue University.

Backyard-management topics and speakers include:

• Management options for existing trees: How to hire and arborist, Amy Stone, Extension educator, Ohio State University Extension.

• Strategies for tree replacement and planting, Stephanie Miller, urban forester, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

• Sources of assistance, Stone.

• Utilization options, Anthony Weatherspoon, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

This workshop is a joint effort among Purdue University; the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; Ohio State University; Ohio Department of Agriculture; Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Michigan State University Extension; U.S. Forest Service; and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

"Emerald ash borers don't care about state borders," Ellis said. "We're viewing EAB as a regional problem and not just a state issue."

Writer: Kay Hagen, (765) 494-6682, kjh@purdue.edu

Source: Jodie Ellis, (765) 494-0822, ellisj@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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