An invasive pest that has killed millions of ash trees across the country has been found in another Wisconsin city. The Emerald Ash Borer was found in the 2900 block of Center Street, according to a statement from the city of Stevens Point.
The infestation was confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Eleven percent of the trees on public lands in Stevens Point are ash trees. The city is using its EAB Management Plan to deal with the disease and encourages citizens to start chemically treating their ash trees.
The green insect was first discovered in North America near Detroit in 2002. It was found for the first time in Wisconsin in August 2008.
Portage County joins Adams and Oneida counties in confirmed sightings of the beetle, which feeds on the inner bark of ash trees, eventually killing them by destroying their network of nutrients.
WSAU