Wisconsin Quarantined for Emerald Ash Borer

The entire state of Wisconsin will be placed under quarantine for emerald ash borer, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced, effective Friday, March 30. Until now, quarantines have been imposed county by county, but now that EAB is in 48 of the state’s 72 counties, officials have decided a statewide quarantine is warranted. However, they still discourage moving firewood within the state. To date, EAB has been found in all of the counties in the southern half of the state, and seven northern counties. Currently, all but two Wisconsin counties are either under quarantine or adjacent to a quarantined county in the state or a neighboring state. Quarantines require businesses handling ash wood, untreated ash products and hardwood firewood to sign agreements specifying how they will reduce the risk of moving EAB into non-quarantined areas, and prohibit moving firewood from quarantined areas to non-quarantined areas. With the entire state under quarantine, wood can move freely between counties within Wisconsin. Businesses that move regulated items out of state will need to work with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to confirm interstate requirements. These are items such as ash wood with bark still on it, larger ash chips, and any kind of hardwood firewood.