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Emerald Ash Borer Threatens City's Ash Trees

The invasive pest, the Emerald Ash Borer, or EAB, continues to pop up in parts of Illinois, threatening the Ash Tree population of the state.

DeWitt County has had sitings of the EAB earlier this year, however, the City of Clinton has not. City Arborist, Steve Lobb explains this does not necessarily bode well for the City's Ash population. He says data shows once it has shown itself in a county, it is county wide.

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With a large number of mature ash trees in the city of Clinton, the Clinton Tree Commission is working to be prepared for it. Lobb explains research and the knowledge of the EAB has come a long ways since it first showed up over a decade ago.

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There are various forms of treatment to help preserve the ash tree population. Lobb says to do that to all the trees because very expensive. He notes there are a few ash trees currently in key spots the Tree Commission is chemically treating in hopes of saving them.

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The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle native to Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the trees to starve and eventually die. While the beetle does not pose any direct risk to public health, it does threaten the ash tree canopy. Several dozen counties in the northeastern and central part of the state are under quarantine to slow the spread of the beetle. The quarantine prohibits the intrastate movement of potentially-contaminated wood products, including ash trees, limbs and branches and all types of firewood.

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