REMER — Officials with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in Cass County for the first time and have an enacted an emergency quarantine limiting the movement of firewood.
A department employee noticed a cluster of ash trees near Remer with suspected signs of emerald ash borer, according to a news release. Larvae and samples were collected and federal identification confirmed emerald ash borer.
First discovered in the state in 2009, the emerald ash borer is now found in 45 counties. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk.
Woodpeckers also reportedly like to feed on emerald ash borer larvae. Woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer, and the larvae tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
The agriculture department’s emergency quarantine will be in effect for the eastern portion of the county, limiting the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.
The south and east side of the quarantine is the Cass County border. The northern edge of the quarantine follows Minnesota Highway 200 west to County Road 129, County Road 129 south to County Road 7, and County Road 7 west to Minnesota Highway 84. The western border of the quarantine is Minnesota Highway 84 to County Road 79 and east to the county line.
The public will also have an opportunity to provide comment on the proposal to add Cass County’s emergency quarantine to the state’s formal quarantine. The department will take comments through Nov. 27.
The state will also host a virtual informational meeting, 10-11 a.m. Nov. 9
