MONTPELIER -- There will be a public meeting in Barre on Thursday, March 15th, 2018 to discuss the discovery of emerald ash borer in Orange County. The meeting is being hosted by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the US Forest Service.
On February 27, 2018 the USDA confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in the Town of Orange after State agencies were alerted by a private forestry consultant of a potential infestation. Emerald ash borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. It was first discovered in North America in the Detroit area in 2002, and over the past sixteen years, it has decimated ash populations in over 30 states. Ash trees comprise approximately 5% of Vermont forests and are also a very common and important urban tree. EAB threatens white ash, green ash and black ash in Vermont and could have significant ecological and economic impacts.
Those attending the meeting will have an opportunity to learn about emerald ash borer and hear how state and federal agencies are responding to the insect’s presence in Vermont. Attendees will also be informed about how they can limit the spread of emerald ash borer. Representatives from the various state and federal agencies will be present to answer questions.
Emerald Ash Borer Informational Meeting
Thursday, March 15, 2018
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Barre First Presbyterian Church
19 Seminary Street
Barre, Vermont
For more information on EAB, please visit www.vtinvasives.org