The emerald ash borer (Photo: DATCP)
The state Department of Agriculture is adding seven more Wisconsin counties to the list of those quarantined because of the emerald ash borer.
The move comes after the tree-killing insect was confirmed in Columbia, Grant, and Monroe counties. The new quarantines cover those three areas, along with neighboring Richland, Iowa, Lafayette, and Green counties. While EAB has not been found in those counties yet, officials say their proximity makes it likely the insect will show up there.
There are are now 29 counties in the state that are under a quarantine, which means ash-wood products and hardwood firewoods can’t be moved out of them. Businesses must prove to the state that their wood products are pest-free before they can be shipped.
The emerald ash borer has killed millions of trees in the US. It has slowly spread across Wisconsin since it turned up in Washington County in 2008.