Winona County added to EAB   

quarantine    

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) today confirmed new emerald ash borer (EAB) infestations in Winona County and Houston County.  In each case, the infestation was discovered after field staff found a single adult beetle on a purple monitoring trap.

The Winona County infestation is in Great River Bluffs State Park, 17 miles southeast of the city of Winona.  It is the first EAB infestation found in Winona County. Editor's Note: Since the time this news release was written, there was a cluster of trees found a mile from the State Park. The Houston County detection is in Veterans Park in La Crescent, and is the second detection in Houston County.  The two new infestations are about 8 miles apart.

These discoveries are the latest in a series of EAB infestations discovered in Minnesota since May 2009, joining sites in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Falcon Heights, Shoreview, and extreme southeastern Houston County.

MDA scientists do not know how EAB arrived at the new sites, but they will survey the areas and work with federal, state and local partners to determine the scope of the infestations.  Meanwhile, MDA has added Winona County to the list of Minnesota counties under EAB quarantine.  This quarantine, which already covers Hennepin, Ramsey and Houston counties, bars people from moving out of the affected county any items potentially infested with EAB.  Items subject to the quarantine include firewood, live ash trees, ash limbs and branches, and untreated ash lumber.  A full description can be found online at  www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/pestmanagement/eab/eabquarantine.aspx. 

For the full article, go to MDA's wesite 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed an emerald ash borer infestation in six confirmed, and more suspect trees in the Summit Hill neighborhood in St. Paul. The infestation was discovered by an MDA field staffer when he was in the neighborhood and recognized the signs of EAB. 

The new neighborhood in St. Paul known to have EAB is no more than two miles from the original EAB infestation in Minnesota.  MDA will be conducting surveys of the area and will be working with the City of St. Paul and Ramsey County to determine a best course of action for slowing the spread of the insect.

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It is illegal to drive with regulated material outside of the quarantine. This includes Highway 7, just north of Victoria (see map below). We have been and will continue to monitor this stretch of highway.  

The following inspections were conducted since the last Regulatory Review was sent:

• Within the Quarantine (Hennepin, Houston, Ramsey, and Winona Counties): 37
• Outside Quarantine: 23   
• Firewood: 39
• Weigh Station on Interstate 35 (for firewood)
• Weigh Station on Interstate 94 West Bound (for firewood)

• Highway 7 still Monitored
• Compliance Agreements Renewed: 4
• New Compliance Agreements Issued: 2  

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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.

If certified firewood dealers would like to advertise using MDA's certified logo or have questions about advertising, please contact Liz Erickson at liz.erickson@state.mn.us.