REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Agriculture has quarantined Putnam and six nearby counties in the state’s battle against emerald ash borer.
The state’s quarantine, which is designed to slow the spread of the ash tree-killing insect, prohibits the movement of ash trees, parts of an ash tree, and all hardwood firewood out of infested areas.
Near Ottawa
After receiving a tip from an Ohio Department of Natural Resources urban forester, ag officials discovered an infested ash tree at a residential property in Blanchard Township in Putnam County.
The borer find was located near the intersection of County Road 5 and Township Road I, about three miles northeast of Ottawa.
While neighboring counties have been under quarantine, this is Putnam County’s first known infestation.
To reduce the risk of the insect moving to uninfested parts of the state, the department added six more counties to the quarantine list: Champaign, Crawford, Darke, Preble, Shelby, and Van Wert.
What quarantine means
It is illegal to take ash trees, parts of ash trees, and all hardwood firewood out of a quarantined county into a nonquarantined county without a compliance agreement from the department of agriculture. Violators face fines up to $4,000.
It is also illegal to take these items out of the state of Ohio, per federal quarantine.
Firewood dealers, businesses or woodlot owners interested in marketing and transporting ash trees or firewood out of quarantined areas can do so only with a department-approved compliance agreement.
Now in 35 counties
Since it was first discovered in Ohio in 2003, EAB has been identified in 35 counties: Allen, Auglaize, Butler, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Defiance, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Ottawa, Paulding, Portage, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Union, Warren, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.
See the latest quarantine map here.
Ash trees infested with EAB typically die within five years.
For more information on the latest quarantine or on firewood movement, call 888-OHIO-EAB.
