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USDA sawmill inspections for emerald ash bore

Started by Sawyerfortyish, May 30, 2008, 07:01:45 AM

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Sawyerfortyish

The US dept of ag called yesterday and want to come to our mill to set traps for the emerald ash bore. They said that there has not been any found here yet but there in western PA. I really wanted to tell them no but they kinda wouldn't take no for an answer so on monday there comming to set some traps they said a sawmill is the best place for trapping the bores. Were the only big sawmill in north Jersey that has a big log yard. If they do find them what happens? Has anyone else had the USDA come out to there mill and set traps?Will I be able to sell ash lumber and firewood?

Dodgy Loner

The USDA has implemented quarantines on trees, logs, and firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs.  I'm not aware of any quarantines on lumber (especially if it's kiln-ried) because the larvae feed on the inner bark, not on the wood.  I think what they're doing is important, and I hope they don't find anything.
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

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Dan_Shade

the state of MD contacted me last year about setting up a trap on my property, I let them do it, they didn't find anything.

Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Ron Wenrich

I haven't heard of any in my neck of the woods.  Are they asking because you are a mill owner or a forest owner?  If its because you're a mill, then they should be asking a lot of the mills to your west.

Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Sawyerfortyish

They are asking because were a mill. We told them all of our logs come from within this state. We do have a very large farm tho.
  About these quarentines how do they watch and who checkes up to where things are going. What about mulch we grind all our slabs into mulch and landscapers haul it all over.

MartyParsons

The USDA were here last year at our location and inspected our wood lot. I wanted to ask if the found any but they were gone when I went to track them down. Lisa said they did not want us going with them in the woods because the EAB is shy?
Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

Larry

They hung gypsy moth traps on our farm in north Missouri about 15 years ago.  Traps were hung every year for maybe five years or so.  I thought it interesting and an important project.  They trained me to be a gypsy moth expert...fortunately I never saw one and there traps were always empty...they quit and moved some place else.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Ron Wenrich

I wonder if they went to any of the other big mills close to you.  There's a big one in Hancock, NY, a couple of bat manufacturing plants in NY and PA (Larrimer & Norton), and quite a few mills between you and Western PA.

Oak logs have been quarantined for quite some time.  You're not supposed to be moving them outside of the quarantine area without them being inspected.  That's been in effect for a rather long time, but I don't think its enforced too well.

We sent some oak out for export and had to get a USDA inspector in to give them a clean bill of health.  Those that didn't make it had to be debarked before they were sent.  They only looked at the oak logs, and not the tulip poplar.  I guess they figure that gyspy moth won't lay their eggs on poplar or ash or anything other than oak.

So, I imagine the EAB will be pretty much the same sort of deal.  You can move your product freely within the quarantine area, but have problems moving it outside.  And they are expecting the industry to be pretty much honest enough to have an inspector come out and inspect their product before its shipped.  Those inspections aren't free. 

Of course, someone from within the EAB quarantine area could fill in the blanks for us.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Kansas

One of the people from this forum  contacted me asking to put up an emerald ash borer trap.
They hung it up a few weeks ago. I think its important to track em.

Sawyerfortyish

Ron they told my brother on the phone they had set traps in monroe co PA and had caught one in a trap. Larry if you want to brush up on your gypsy moth trainning I'd be more than happy to ship ya a few hundred thousand ;)

sunriseseamless

The borer is widespread in lower Michigan and there is a quarantine, county by county  I believe this means no moving of wood that has the bark on it across county lines.  It wouldn't apply to lumber.  Municipalities dispose of infected trees by chipping them into small bits.  The borer larvae only lives in the bark, so I don't know why they don't just chip the bark, maybe whole trees are easier. 
Personally I've lost a couple of dozen Ash on my property.  Ash was a common landscape tree here and was planted extensively to replace Elm trees that died with that disease decades ago.
I have a tree removal friend that brings me a lot of dead Ash to burn.  It comes from peoples yard, street Blvds and Apartment complexes.  I guess he's alright as long as he doesn't cross county lines.
I hope it can be stopped before it gets to the rest of you guys, because once they come, they leave no Ash untouched.

Ron Wenrich

We've been having ash dying for the past several years.  I've heard it called die back, anthracnose and yellows.  So, they've been under some stress already.  EAB will just put the nail in the coffin.

We had most of the dogwoods die in our area about 30 years ago.  I'm finally starting to see some of them starting to flower out in the woods again.  I wonder if the same thing won't happen with the ash.  Afterall, the EAB can't go after the seedlings.  I don't think there is an intermediate host, is there?
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

gizmodust

I contacted the Conservation Dept. and then the state about the ash that was being cleared out and destroyed.  I believe that all of southern Mi. has been quarntined.  They said that it was being chipped and used for fuel in power plants.  When I inquired about canting the logs and leaving the slab wood on site, they said that he didn't see any problem with it as the bore lives in the bark layers.  That was a couple years ago.  Still, I would think that it would still apply.
Always liked wood with alot of character

Kelvin

I've got a permit from the USDA to sell ash from my mill.  You have to report all sales quarterly and have kiln schedule times and temps on permenant record.  You have to say how much and to whom you sold too.  Kinda a pain in the ass.  THey give you a stamp to stamp your reciepts as complying.  I believe all of lower michigan up to the bridge is now in the quarantine (this was second hand info though, so don't base much on it.)  you can move logs into quarantine and around in quar. but not out of.  Lumber has to be approved and stamped by inspected USDA agent who comes out to your mill and makes sure lumber is dry enough and hot enough long enough.  It is very specific and annoying to comply, but that is the law via the FEDS.  Just in case anyone cares.
Kelvin

dewwood

Kelvin is correct about movement within a quarantined area.  I am in the process of becoming my own inspector so that I may sell kiln dried ash lumber out of the quarantined area.  Since I live 2 miles from OH and about 5 from MI, much of my lumber crosses state lines and has to have a certificate accompany it and I have to maintain records here.  USDA people were here yesterday to get it set up but will have to mail me the forms to be used.  I already have a compliance agreement in place which allows me to accept ash logs during the winter months but must have them sawn before May 1 and dispose of the slabs properly.
Selling hardwood lumber, doing some sawing and drying, growing the next generation of trees and enjoying the kids and grandkids.

Sawyerfortyish

What about grinding the slabs for mulch? All my slabs get ground. My grinder is in line with the mill and runs at the same time. Then the mulch sits and heats a while and gets turned to darken it. I can't imagine anything living through the grinding and shredding process.

ohsoloco

I've been losing some of my ash each year...I'm guessing the cause is what Ron mentioned.  At this point any ash that I look at in my woods is either dead (I take them down for firewood each year), or seriously stressed.  I think they'll all be gone in a few years.  Then there's the gypsy moths and my oaks  :(

Toolman

Quote from: Ron Wenrich on May 30, 2008, 12:47:19 PM
I haven't heard of any in my neck of the woods.  Are they asking because you are a mill owner or a forest owner?  If its because you're a mill, then they should be asking a lot of the mills to your west.



Hey Ron,

My neighbor just had 20" ash die off last year, cut it down about a month ago, found evidence of emerald ash bore. Apparently they leave curvy channels just under bark. He is having it looked at to try to confirm. Just thought I'd let you know since I live only 20 miles or so from you. I'll let you know what he finds. Kinda has me concerned.

The past five years has claimed all of my elm. I lost 5 nice trees. My neighbor lost all of his and pretty much this whole area has dead elms everywhere. I suspect Dutch Elm Disease. I've been heating my home for past couple years on dying elm trees.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have" (Thomas Jefferson)

Ron Wenrich

I'd be real interested in hearing how things turn out.  My thoughts are that there are other wood borers that may leave similar trails and may have come in after the tree started to decline.  That's my theory, anyways.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Toolman

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have" (Thomas Jefferson)

dewwood

Sawyerfortish,

I can only speak from my own experience but proper disposal of slabs normally means burning or grinding which I would think mulching would be included.  The best bet is to ask the USDA people because they can come onto your mill anytime and inspect so my thought is to try to work with them and hopefully avoid more problems down the road.  I do not handle a lot of ash but they still stop here every so often to check.

Good luck!
Selling hardwood lumber, doing some sawing and drying, growing the next generation of trees and enjoying the kids and grandkids.

sunriseseamless

The borer leaves a hole in the bark about 1/8" to 3/16" when it enters.  The hole has a distinctive flat side, so it looks like a D.  The borer kills the trees by burrowing under the bark all the way around the tree.  This effectively girdles the tree from the inside. :'(  Remove the bark and you'll see hundreds of these tunnels.  I assume they are all from the EAB, but I suppose they might be from something else too.

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