Source:  NCDA&CS, 7/20/11

The Virginia Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service, in cooperation with the N.C. Forest Service and the Tennessee Division of Forest Resources, will conduct a workshop titled “Preparing for Emerald Ash Borer” Wednesday, Aug. 17.

The daylong workshop will take place at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va.
The emerald ash borer is an Asian beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002. The EAB’s larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the trees’ ability to transport water and nutrients. The beetles have killed tens of millions of trees in 12 states and two Canadian provinces. The beetles have not been detected in North Carolina.

Forest health specialists from the public and private sectors will provide an introduction to the emerald ash borer problem, basic EAB biology and control tactics, current EAB monitoring, and EAB message development and communication practices.

Early registration is $30 per person and ends Aug. 10. Any registration received after Aug. 10 will cost $40. The fee covers all materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. For attendees wishing to stay overnight Aug. 9, a block of rooms has been reserved at two Abingdon hotels. Contact the Comfort Inn at (276) 676-2222 or the Comfort Suites at (866) 611-6582 or (276) 698-3040 and use the code “EAB Workshop.”

“The emerald ash borer isn’t currently in North Carolina, but has been found in many of the surrounding states, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a serious threat to the urban and rural ash trees here at home,” said Rob Trickel, head of the Forest Health Branch of the N.C. Forest Service. “It’s not a matter of if the emerald ash borer will enter this state, just when.”

EAB has been found in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia. The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to learn about Virginia’s successes and failures in combating this pest.
Registration forms are available at www.treesvirginia.org. Questions may be directed to Becky Woodson at (434) 220-9024.