BY MICK ZAWISLAK | Daily Herald Staff Writer | Posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Travelers are asked to avoid bringing home more than fond memories as the camping season gears up.
A consortium of agencies led by the Morton Arboretum for a third year is on alert for the emerald ash borer, a stealthy yet lethal pest that may lurk in piles of firewood.
Responsible for killing or sickening more than 15 million ash trees in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario, Canada, land managers throughout northern Illinois want to tighten the net before the exotic, metallic green beetle can establish itself here.
"Right now, one of the biggest issues out there is firewood transportation," said Al Zelaya, forestry crew chief for the Lake County forest preserves. "It's an unregulated industry."
Those hoping to thwart the beetle fear campers who buy firewood at stands in neighboring states may unwittingly introduce the ash borer to Illinois.
"There is a lot of vigilance and concern because these things seem to be all around us," said Gina Tedesco, spokeswoman for the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who secured $11 million in federal funds to combat the Asian longhorn beetle, was briefed last month on what could become the latest natural threat.
Durbin will discuss the ash borer on his local access cable show and plans discussions with Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar.
"It's not a problem yet in Illinois, but we know it will be," said Durbin spokeswoman Christina Angarola.
Meanwhile, forest preserve, park district, municipal and other officials continue the search.
For example, about $29,000 has been requested in the proposed Lake County forest preserve budget for tree maintenance. A public information program on the ash borer also is planned, and district leaders will hear more Friday regarding the potential regional impact.
"We probably will be doing more things in terms of (tree) inventory, trying to get a handle on our resources and the risk," Zayala said.
Last year, 160 "trap trees" were set at about 100 sites in DuPage, Will, Kendall, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Winnebago, Boone and parts of Cook counties. No borers were found, but that hasn't lessened the anxiety.
Ash trees are popular in residential settings because they grow quickly and are durable. Morton estimates 20 percent of all trees in the Chicago area's urban landscape are ash.
Developers turned to ash as a replacement for Dutch Elms, Zayala said, and new areas would be especially susceptible to the ash borer, he added.
"That's where it's going to be a big problem," he said.
The borer is small and hard to see. Larvae destroy trees from the inside out and the damage can take years to show.
The borer was first identified in the U.S. in 2002 in southeastern Michigan. Experts say it may have been in the Detroit area 10 to 15 years before then.
"That's the scary thing about this pest," Zayala said. It was found in Ohio in 2003 and northern Indiana in 2004.
It is believed to have arrived on wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in Asia.
Zayala urged Illinois residents to buy firewood locally or use up their supply on site if purchased elsewhere.
Trees dying from the top down, or D-shaped exit holes in the trunk or branches are indicators that should be reported to authorities.
mzawislak@dailyherald.com
