Wisconsin
DNR proposes to decrease the distance firewood can be transported from 25 miles
to 10. Any wood carried from distances greater than
set limits must be certified by state Department of Agriculture.
This comes from the increased risk of invasive species and diseases transported in the firewood. As of February of this year, La Crosse is already considered a “quarantined” county. Firewood from hardwoods, ash chips, limbs or the tree itself are not allowed to be transported out of the county. There are 15 quarantined counties in Wisconsin.
There are
727 million ash trees in Wisconsin’s woodlands, all potentially destroyed by
the invasive species. The trees make up seven
percent of the state’s native tree population, and they can constitute
20% of trees planted in urban areas.
Insecticide treatments can stop
or reverse the effect of the disease for trees in residential areas. However,
there is no practical way to stop the spread in entire forests. Landowners
should consult professional foresters for help managing their private
woodlands.
The Emerald Ash Borer beetle
specifically has been established in Wisconsin since 2008 in Ozaukee and
Washington counties. The green beetles live beneath the bark of ash trees and
emerge in late May through mid-July. A single female beetle can lay 60-90 eggs.
The emerald ash borer
kills ash trees by tunneling through the bark and consuming the softer tissue
underneath. This disrupts the tree’s ability to move water and nutrients
between its leaves and root system, eventually killing the tree from
malnutrition.
The DNR asks that citizens report
possible cases of the infestation to the Wisconsin EAB hotline
(1-800-462-2803).
