St. Louis County added to emerald ash borer quarantine

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is enacting emergency quarantines in Aitkin County and new areas of Mille Lacs, Pine, and St. Louis counties due to the recent Emerald ash borer discoveries mnag.maps.arcgis.com. (See Quarantine Map at mnag.maps.arcgis.com for details).

These quarantines will affect transportation of harvested ash timber and hardwood firewood into or through parts of St. Louis County. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through May 5, 2025.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a serious invasive tree pest, and consequently a quarantine has been placed to help slow the spread of EAB to other areas in Minnesota.

These are considered regulated articles by the MDA:

•  Ash logs

•  Ash tree waste

•  Ash chips and mulch

•  All firewood (non-coniferous)

The public has the opportunity to provide input and comment on the proposed emergency quarantines before they a formalized. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through May 5, 2025, and recommends adopting the quarantine on May 6, 2025.

PHOTO CREDIT: rwhendricksenco.com