Beetle Battle

As funding slips, the emerald ash borer gains ground in Michigan.

By hannah northey

An emerald ash borer. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Agriculture

Michiganders, both “UPers” from “da nort” and “trolls” south of the Mackinac Bridge, are struggling in a battle against the Asian invasion of the emerald ash borer, also known as Agrilus planipennis.

After tearing through more than 8 million ash trees, the beetle now seems to be trumping state finances.

Michigan’s Emerald Ash Borer Program is operating with a 2006 budget of $1.2 million dollars — down from the 2005 budget of $11 million.

“The federal government has pulled a lot of money on programs that target invasive species,” said Patricia Lockwood, policy director for the Michigan Emerald Ash Borer Program. “With only $11 million, we weren’t even able to do the work that was required in 2005 — they’re having a feast on the ash trees of Michigan.”

According to Lockwood, state officials asked Washington for an additional $7 million in emergency funding to support the programs already in place.

“We have a program in place with no funding,” she said.

The lack of financial support limits the program’s ability to detect the beetle, survey the state and communicate with the public.

Despite limited staff and funds, the program tries to keep the beetle bottled up within 21 counties and 31 other pockets of infestation apart from the already established quarantine zones.

These sites are believed to be the result of the movement of infested firewood.
Even in the face of limited funding, Lockwood said the program is now gearing toward a stronger push of its message — “Don’t move firewood.”

“We are hopefully everywhere with our message — we’re at all trade shows, we’re in libraries, schools, we have brochures throughout the state,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can, which is certainly never enough.”

Unfortunately, the beetle has been undeterred by the plethora of bumper stickers with the message that moving firewood “bugs” everyone else. Last September, the beetle was discovered in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the first time.

Infested ash trees often have exit holes one-eighth of an inch wide and s-shaped larval galleries just beneath the bark. Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Agriculture

The task of tracking such a small bug in large sections of the state has prompted the program to collaborate with Michigan State Police, commercial wood haulers, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Transportation. A main checkpoint was established at the Mackinac Bridge to prevent infected wood from being transported into the Upper Peninsula.

“It’s the first place where people violate the quarantine,” said Gary King, the Emerald Ash Borer deputy director with the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

At the checkpoint, King said commercial wood and nursery stock are inspected for infestation.

Even with such statewide cooperation, the difficulties of tracking down the biggest culprits — wood-carrying campers — can be close to impossible.

“We’ve found that some people like to carry firewood with them wherever they go,” Lockwood said. “Sometimes people don’t realize they move wood outside the quarantine areas.”

Even more challenging, many campers might not know the wood is infested or who’s responsible for giving them a ticket.

Presently, there are no tickets written and the process of penalizing can seem more than a little confusing.

According to King, the majority of quarantine violators, mostly campers, are caught by EAB staff and the Department of Agriculture. After the staff gathers information on the perpetrators, county judges decide the penalties, which can range from $100 to $10,000, and up to five years in prison.

A new system being developed places the responsibility of giving citations to the Department of Agriculture. The department plans to have a system set up within the year, King said.

Officials are also working with the timber industry to increase the market for ash products in order to sell salvageable wood.

Since the beetle lies right under the bark, wood can be recovered from infested trees.

So far, infested ash in Michigan has been used to make railroad ties, flooring and dowels. But the size and condition of salvaged trees make them difficult to use in more sophisticated products, like the fine furniture produced at Wood Crafts of Michigan in Eaton Rapids.

“If the trees are too small or if there are worm holes in them, they’re no good,” said Greg Shadko, Wood Crafts’ owner. “It’s possible a lot of the trees aren’t making it into the business.”

Shadko said his ash supplier continuously looked to northern Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as lasting resources for ash. But with the discovery of the beetle in the U.P. last year, that source is no longer secure.

“The price of ash has gone up a little bit,” he said. “Long term, I tell my customers that if they want ash, they better get it now.”

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