ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota is once again seeking volunteers to join the dozens of citizens who already have stepped up to help keep an eye out for new infestations of emerald ash borer and other destructive invasive pests.   

These volunteer "first detectors" form part of the state's early warning system for invasive tree pests, making it more likely that infestations will be found in early stages when they are easiest to control.

Forest Pest First Detector training sessions are scheduled as follows:

• February 22 - Twin Cities - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - TIES, Larpenteur Room

• February 24 - Duluth - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center, The Boulder Room

• March 1 - Winona - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, The Toner Center, President's Room

• March 3 - Fergus Falls - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Regional Extension Office (Wells Fargo Bank Building, Lower Level Conference Room)

• March 8 - Andover - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Bunker Hills Activity Center, Maple Room

• March 10 - Hutchinson - 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. - AmericInn Room

More details can be found online at the University of Minnesota Extension's website 

Read the full story on MDA's website. 

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      The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) regulatory staff conducted inspections during winter months while working closely with the USDA.Even though the bugs are dormant, the regulatory staff are not.  Since the last issue of the Regulatory Review, staff have conducted 50 firewood inspections and 13 company site inspections.  MDA and USDA regulatory staff teamed up with Department of Public Safety Commercial Vehicle Inspectors to inspect several semis hauling lumber and other wood products from states as far away as Pennsylvania.  

      MDA staff worked with Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry to ensure firewood shipped from Minnesota to Florida would not be seized at Florida inspection stations.  Florida's Master Permit for Firewood and Unprocessed Wood Products allows certain Minnesota companies that are heat treating firewood, and have a compliance agreement with MDA, to ship products to Florida.  

     On January 11, 2011, MDA received a report of firewood that was improperly labeled at a grocery store in the Twin Cities.  MDA regulatory staff documented that a local warehouse and distribution company based in Saint Paul was altering the state certificate on the labels before distributing firewood to nine grocery stores in the local area.  The state certificate indicates  firewood, a potentially high-risk material for moving the emerald ash borer, has been specially treated, making it safe to remove from a quarantined area.  The state certificate had been altered to obscure the original producer from the grocery chain and consumer.   

     In spite of the altered certificate on the label, the firewood had been properly heat treated in a certified facility, and as such did not pose a risk of spreading emerald ash borer.  However, to maintain the integrity of the certification program and protect the certificate from further misuse, the firewood producer was ordered to re-label all the firewood it had supplied to the grocery story with a legal label.  MDA asked the grocery stores to pull the firewood from aisles until the labels were corrected. The firewood company has since fully complied with the orders from MDA and the matter has been closed.

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MDA Certified Firewood

This certificate shows MDA has tested and certified the facility responsible for heat treating firewood. This firewood is safe from emerald ash borer and is allowed to move throughout Minnesota.