Deforestation Begins in Effort To Thwart Emerald Ash Borer

Maryland agriculture officials have begun cutting down 25,000 ash trees in an 11,500-acre swath of forested and developed land in southern Prince George's County in an effort to eradicate the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that preys on such trees.

The bug is native to Asia and recently killed 25 million ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The state is scrambling to eradicate the emerald ash borer by spring, when the bugs, which are now in larval form living under the bark of infested trees, will emerge as adults.

The cutting began last week in forested parts of the Clinton-Brandywine area -- near the Charles County border and close to where the insect was discovered last summer and fall -- and will continue through late March. The Maryland Department of Agriculture is planning a town hall meeting with affected residents in the coming weeks before it begins cutting trees in residential areas, agency spokeswoman Sue duPont said Tuesday.

Plans call for removing all ash trees within 1 1/2 miles of each tree that is found to be infested with the beetle. In addition, the state has instituted a quarantine prohibiting people from moving ash wood and hardwood firewood from Prince George's.

The ash trees, popular for shade and landscaping, will be taken to a collection facility in Cheltenham, where they will be chopped into one-inch chips. The process is expected to cost about $4 million, which will be paid with federal funds, duPont said.

Officials are calling on residents to help eradicate the beetles, said Carol Holko, the state's chief of plant protection and weed management.

"Everyone can help by being an ambassador," Holko said in a statement. "Watch for and report symptoms, don't move ash wood, don't plant new ash trees south of Route 4 in the county for now, and spread the word about the emerald ash borer, the quarantine and the perils of moving hardwood firewood."

If the emerald ash borer is not eradicated, it could have a major economic impact on the state's $1.4 billion agriculture industry, officials said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the losses could reach $300 million in the Baltimore area alone.

Residents are urged to report signs of the emerald ash borer to the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center at 800-342-2507 or the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5920. Signs of the borer include small D-shaped holes in bark, vertical splits in bark and serpentine-shaped tunnels beneath the bark.