Did you know that our area is under a hardwood quarantine quarantine due to the discovery of the destructive Emerald Ash Borer? Although roasting marshmallows around a cracking campfire or backyard firepit is probably the last thing on anyones mind during the dog days of summer, this is the time of year when many homeowners and outdoor lovers start stocking up on firewood for the (blissfully) cooler months ahead.
Discovered in Michigan in 2002, the Emerald Ash Borer most likely came to the United States in wooden crates from Asia, according to www.emeraldashborer.info, the national resource site about the pest. By 2008, the beetle had been found in Maryland and Virginia. This destructive pest has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the midwestern and mid-Atlantic states.
In 2009, Virginia enacted a quaratine on: ash nursery stock, ash green lumber, any other ash material (including logs, stumps, branches, roots, as well as composted and uncomposted chips), and all hardwood firewood in Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Clark, and Frederick counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester.
Because most firewood is aged and discolored, it is difficult to determine if it is ash. As such, the Commonwealth of Virginia reminds people to leave their firewood at home and use local sources of firewood (flyer, PDF), especially when travelling to counties and states outside the quarantined area.
Homeowners with ash trees on their property can find resources for management and eradication here. Violating the Virginia quarantine is a class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $2,500 and a year in jail. Violating the federal quarantine could result in a fine up to $250,000. Call 804-786-3515 to report quarantine violations.