2008 PRESS RELEASES
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July 22, 2008
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE EXPANDS QUARANTINE AREAS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA BECAUSE OF EMERALD ASH BORER
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, 804.786.7686
Todd Haymore, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), signed orders late July 21, 2008 that expanded a quarantine area originally limited to Fairfax County to include the additional counties of Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. This action was taken to address the high risk and proximity of these localities to two confirmed infestations of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) that were discovered in Herndon and the Newington area in Fairfax County earlier in the month.
Previous evidence suggested that the natural spread of EAB was limited to approximately two miles a year, but recent findings demonstrate that EAB adults can fly up to one mile per flight and can take multiple flights, resulting in spreading infestations for ten to 20 miles or more.
“The Emerald Ash Borer is a serious threat to ash trees in Virginia,” said Commissioner Haymore. “VDACS and our partners are doing everything we can to document the extent of the original infestations and limit the spread to surrounding areas.”
The EAB is a highly destructive, invasive species that has already killed millions of ash trees in Michigan and Ohio. The pests may be spread unintentionally by people moving firewood from one location to another. The quarantine restricts the movement of regulated articles from quarantined localities to non-quarantined localities. The regulated articles, which include ash trees, green (non-heat treated) ash lumber and ash wood products, as well as hardwood firewood, pose a significant risk of transporting EAB. These regulated articles may move freely within the quarantined areas. The VDACS state quarantine mirrors a federal quarantine implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture to prevent the spread of this pest from Virginia to non-infested states.
For additional information about the Emerald Ash Borer and actions taken to combat its spread, see http://na.fs.fed.us/firewood/ or call 804.786.3515.