Ash tree troubles

I just came across this article on the BBC about 'ash dieback,' a fungal disease that is apparently killing off a bunch of ash trees across Europe.

It's interesting to read about the difficulties the poor ash trees are having across the Atlantic, considering the very serious issues we're having with ash in North America.  I'm speaking, of course, of Emerald Ash Borer, a pretty yet deadly insect that feeds on the cambium tissues of ash trees, young and old. 

Photo from U of MN

Considering that ash trees are the third most populous tree in Minnesota, this is a big deal.  So big, it's not a question of 'if' it will hit us, but 'when.'  And the 'when' is now.  Minnesota has 22 'quarantine' counties where EAB has been found.  A 'quarantine' county is one where no ash material (firewood, nursery stock, green lumber, compost, etc.) can be transported out.  And it's not just Minnesota - EAB has been detected in at least 30 other states around the country.

Brown County, the county just south of the park, is a quarantine county.  The EAB was found in a municipal park in New Ulm last year.  The trees themselves were already dying, which means that the bug had been there for several years.  It takes that long before the damage becomes noticeable.  And by that time, it's really too late to do anything about it.  Depending on the level of infestation, EAB can kill a tree in 2-5 years.

Even with quarantine measures, EAB can travel on its own several miles each year.  Although we haven't seen it yet at the park, I would hazard a guess that we will soon.  Every time we see a sickly tree, we look for the telltale signs - D-shaped exit holes on the trunk and significant woodpecker damage near the top.  It's just a matter of time.

Photo from U of WI