Left unchecked, the emerald ash borer could destroy state's 147 million ash trees
By Tammy Webber (tammy.webber@indystar.com)
DECATUR, Ind. -- Tromping through the woods north of town, Karen Cox stopped to examine the saplings, scrutinizing their bark, branch patterns and buds.
Satisfied they were young ash trees, Cox sprayed a band of orange paint around the trunks, then yelled to a fellow state forester keeping tally: "Dawn, three cheeseburgers!" -- using the code for trees less than 4 inches in diameter.
Although healthy, these will be among thousands of Indiana ash trees cut down early next year in an all-out effort to halt the spread of the emerald ash borer. They are too close to an ash infected with the tree-eating beetle that is so deadly it could destroy every ash in the state if left unchecked.
Already, more than 100,000 Indiana ash trees have been cut down. Millions of ashes in other states have met the same fate.
There are an estimated 147 million ash trees in Indiana's forests and perhaps an equal number in its cities. With its rounded crown and vibrant gold fall color, the ash is a popular street and yard tree. Ash comprises about 6 percent of the state's forests, 70 percent of which are south of Indianapolis.
Three years ago, U.S. bug experts didn't know of the ash borer. Today, experts at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources fear that if the beetle reaches the large cities and southern forests, it might be impossible to control. "For all practical purposes, ash could be wiped out," DNR entomologist Robert Waltz said.
Strong and easily worked, ash is used for making tool handles, baseball bats and furniture. The wood also is important in American Indian religious ceremonies and basket-making. Experts agree a widening infestation would have a significant effect on Indiana's $8 billion-a-year forestry industry.
Discovered in Detroit in 2002, the half-inch-long, dark metallic green insect -- an Asia and Eastern European native believed to have hitched a ride on wooden packing material -- wiped out that city's ash trees and since has spread into most of Michigan's lower peninsula.
The insect has led to the destruction of about 15 million ash trees in Michigan, the hardest-hit state. The beetle also has been discovered in parts of Ontario, Canada, Ohio and in four Indiana counties near the Michigan and Ohio borders: Adams, LaGrange, Randolph and Steuben.
On its own, the beetle, which can fly, moves about a half-mile a year. But it has spread much faster due to infested firewood, nursery trees and logs being moved.
"If we educate citizens so they realize the consequences of moving (ash), that can go a long way to stopping it," Waltz said.
Areas in the four Indiana counties have been placed under quarantine, meaning no ash trees or logs may be moved into or out of the area without state approval.
Also, more than 118,000 ash trees have been cut down in Indiana's infested areas. About 15,000 will be cut early next year in Decatur, which is in Adams County, where the beetle was discovered this fall. Forestry officials estimate another 15,000 will be cut in Winchester, in Randolph County.
Some are massive trees more than 75 years old, including one in Decatur that is 51 inches across.
"I just wanted to cry. It's heart-rending because we will never see (an ash) this size again in our lifetime" in Decatur, said Dawn Bale, a member of the forestry crew. "But it is for the greater good."
Once an infested tree is identified, all ash trees within a half-mile radius must be cut down. The hope is to eliminate the ash borer's only food source, said Jodie Ellis, an exotic insects expert at Purdue University.
Adult ash borers lay eggs on the bark of ash trees. When larvae hatch, they burrow beneath the bark and feed on the tree's vascular tissue, the systems that carry water and nutrients. Infested trees starve to death within one to three years. Once a tree is bug-ridden, there is no way to save it.
"This is a fascinating story but a terrible story. I wish this had never happened," Ellis said. "But if people would comply and not move this thing, we might be able to get a grip on it."
What state is doing
Indiana officials are taking several steps to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer:
• Nine townships in four counties -- Adams, LaGrange, Randolph and Steuben -- are under a quarantine that prohibits the movement of ash firewood, logs and nursery trees without permission from the state. Violation of the quarantine carries a minimum $250 fine; moving ash across state lines could result in a $2,500 federal fine.
• Thousands of ash trees are being cut down in infested areas to slow or stop the beetles' spread. More than 118,000 trees have been cut to date; an additional 30,000 are expected to be cut in early 2006. Indiana has about $2.2 million to spend on eradication, of which about $1.8 million is federal money.
• State officials are asking the public to avoid moving ash and to report any suspected sightings of the emerald ash borer or infested trees.
Emerald ash borer
• How does it kill trees? The beetle lays eggs on the trunk of ash trees. When the larvae hatch, they burrow beneath the bark and feed on the trees' vascular tissues, which transport nutrients and water. Trees usually starve to death within one to three years, with one-third to one-half of the branches dying in a year.
• Where did it come from? Its natural range is eastern Russia, northern China, Japan and Korea.
• How did it get to the United States? Researchers believe it came here in the 1990s on wooden packing or crating material or in wood used to stabilize cargo on ships.
Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture
