Emerald Ash Borer Sparks Fear as the Invasive Insect Could Wipe Out Ash Trees After Reaching Oregon

An invasive insect known as the emerald ash borer has arrived in the state of Oregon, sparking fears that it would annihilate the population of the ash trees, local authorities confirmed.

The arrival of the so-called invasive green beetle is part of its westward march from the eastern and western United States, where it has already killed millions of trees.

Amid the looming threat, local authorities are making preparations to at least protect the Oregon ash and other tree species from the invasive beetle, which is reportedly unstoppable at this time as claimed by authorities.

As a result, reports indicated slowing down their advancement to allow more time to prepare is the only viable option at this time.

The deadly pest arrived in the Pacific Northwest state three years after forest scientists in the U.S. West Coast launched an initiative to gather almost 1 million seeds of the Oregon ash.

The tree species is known as an ecologically valuable tree found from Southern California to the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Plant conservationists have expressed their concern of the impending botanical disaster, even as part of a nearly 20-year fight against the emerald ash borer, an Asian species first found in Detroit in 2002.

Since then, the invasive insect has been continuously reported.

Invasive Insect Arrives

According to an article posted on Science, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the arrival of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Oregon last week, and asserted it likely has been there already for up to five years.

The latest discovery surpassed previous records of the green beetle's first appearance to be as far as Boulder, Colorado.

As a result, this is the first time the insects have a presence west of the Rocky Mountains.

Forest managers fear for the future of the Oregon ash, and at least eight other ash tree species found only in western North America.

Ash Trees

Leigh Greenwood, a forest specialist from the Nature Conservancy, said that once the emerald ash borer shows up, one cannot get rid of it.

However, by implementing measures such as limiting firewood movement and other ash material, affected states can buy some time to be prepared, as cited by Science.

The Oregon ash is a member of the tree olive family (Oleaceae).

It is one of the 16 ash species across the US, and is the only ash member native to the Pacific Northwest, according to the Oregon Wood Innovation Center of the Oregon State University.

Amidst the growing challenge faced by Oregon, various propositions have emerged, such as the continued collection of other endemic ash species that are only found in the Southwest US.

Still, reports indicated that these solutions are not easy since some species are rare and grow in remote locations, according to Tim Thibault, a curator at the Huntington, as cited by Science.

The emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle first discovered in southeastern Michigan, near Detroit, during the summer of 2002.

In recent years, the beetle had not only spread across the US but also in several provinces of Canada such as Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.