Emerald ash borer biological control release and recovery guidelines

Emerald ash borer (EAB), a beetle from Asia that feeds on ash trees, was discovered as the cause of extensive ash mortality in southeast Michigan and adjacent areas of Canada in 2002. It is thought that this destructive pest was introduced in the early 1990's in infested solid wood packing material originating in Asia. Shortly after EAB was discovered in North America, federal and state regulatory agencies placed infested counties under quarantine and eradication activities were initiated. Due to the magnitude of the EAB infestation in North America, the potential for natural and artificial dispersal of EAB, limited EAB detection and control methods, and high costs, program objectives shifted away from eradication to containment and management of the pest. By March 2015, EAB infestations were known in twenty-five states (Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) and two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec). At present, the most sustainable and long-term approach to reducing EAB populations and conserving ash in forested areas of North America is biological control.