- US Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer in four counties, including Marion County
- A permanent quarantine is in effect related to the affected species
- Learn What You Can Do to protect your trees
Salem, Ore. – City of Salem staff is moving quickly to implement Emerald ash borer management plans after the US Department of Agriculture (ODA) confirmed detection of the Emerald ash borer in Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas Counties on August 28, 2024.
“We are collaborating with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Agriculture and have plans in place to start implementing preservation strategies this coming spring and to complete an overall management strategy to protect urban tree canopy against EAB for years to come” said Milan Davis, Salem’s Urban Forester.
Marion County has been placed in a permanent quarantine status for regulated ash, olive and white fringe tree materials.
Since the first observation of the Emerald Ash Borer in Oregon on June 30, 2022, Salem officials have been working on a plan for responding to the arrival of this aggressive tree pest in order to slow its spread and preserve Salem's tree canopy. Staff involved in implementing the management plan include:
- Urban Forestry
- Parks
- Natural Resources Planning
- Stormwater Quality
The quarantine does not allow the movement tree materials from ash, olive and white-fringe trees outside the county unless they meet certain conditions. Live plant material is eligible for compliance agreements with the Oregon Department of Agriculture if one of the following conditions is met:
- Diameter at the base of the plants is less than 0.75 inches
- Plants were grown in a screenhouse approved by the ODA
- Plants have been properly treated with an approved insecticide
- Debark wood and remove at least 1 inch of underlying wood
- Grind or chip to 1 inch or less
- Heat wood to a minimum of 140°F for at least 60 minutes
- Bury under at least 12 inches of topsoil
- Incinerate wood materials
- Secondary processing to produce wood by-products (i.e. paper)
- Other methods specified within a compliance agreement with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
For more information, check out these web resources or contact the ODA hotline at 1-866-INVADER or https://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/reports/create, or email the city’s Urban Forestry Division at urbanforestry@cityofsalem.net.
Online resources:
Emerald Ash Borer
ODA Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Expansion
ODA Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Alert Fact Sheet
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