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Emerald Ash Borer

Started by sharp-shod, October 07, 2010, 07:07:04 PM

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tjdub

Quote from: Okrafarmer on October 10, 2010, 11:23:56 PM
Also: ash is not very common in our area though we do have a little. Does anybody know the extent of this firewood ban-- what states-- what areas-- what exactly does the firewood ban prohibit? You can't haul ANY firewood, even if it is not ash? And how far?

I can only speak for Minnesota, but here, it is a ban on transporting ANY type of firewood over county lines (unless you have a permit).  The ban is imposed on a county-by-county basis when EAB has been confirmed in a neighboring county.  If they tried to be more specific it wouldn't be reasonable to expect police to be able to enforce it.  I'm not sure what the fine is, but with profit margins in the firewood business what they are, it's not worth risking a fine at any price.

My fear is that even once the EAB spreads well past the area, the bans won't get lifted.  I know some communities around here put ordinance bans on Elm firewood way back when Dutch Elm was going through, and those bans are still on the books. 

SwampDonkey

The Canadian Prairies has elm wood transport restrictions to. Some towns it matters because they manage the disease. Here in NB there is no such restriction, people don't use it for firewood, or very rare unless it's their yard tree that died or something. No one wants to bust their guts trying to split the stuff usually. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Warren

Quote from: Okrafarmer on October 10, 2010, 11:23:56 PM
Also: ash is not very common in our area though we do have a little. Does anybody know the extent of this firewood ban-- what states-- what areas-- what exactly does the firewood ban prohibit? You can't haul ANY firewood, even if it is not ash? And how far?
In KY, the original ban was no firewood across county lines, "firewood" = anything less than 8 ft length.  As of August 2010, the ban was no firewood moved outside of the quarantine area, "firewood" = anything less than 4 ft length.  Still no firewood across state lines.
LT40SHD42, Case 1845C,  Baker Edger ...  And still not near enough time in the day ...

Okrafarmer

So they relaxed it in KY? I'm interested because my parents live there now and I'd like to know so I can tell my dad not to do something that would get him in trouble.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Warren

Quote from: Okrafarmer on October 11, 2010, 10:51:00 PM
So they relaxed it in KY? I'm interested because my parents live there now and I'd like to know so I can tell my dad not to do something that would get him in trouble.

Yeah, they relaxed a bit.  Allowing movement WITHIN the quarantine area makes sense.   It was also a break for me, since all of my regular firewood customers, who do not live in my home county, are still in the quarantine area (NORTH of me where the critter passed thru to get to MY county...)

Key piece of information is that it is the BUYER's responsibility to be aware of where they can and can not haul firewood.  The seller is not responsible if the buyer violates the quarantine / ban.  ie: If a buyer purchases firewood within the quarantine area, and transports it outside the quarantine area, the sawmill operator / firewood producer can not be held accountable...

Here is the current KY Div of Forestry EAB website:

http://pest.ca.uky.edu/EXT/EAB/welcome.html

-w-
LT40SHD42, Case 1845C,  Baker Edger ...  And still not near enough time in the day ...

northwoods1

Quote from: beenthere on October 07, 2010, 08:33:06 PM
Measures appear to be to shut (or try) the small barn door (limit firewood movement) after the horse ran out. But leave the big doors open (logs and pulp wood movement) for the horses to run out anytime.
Sorry to be so pessemistic, but the focus (IMO) has been to put on a show that "something" is being done. When in fact, what is done is only after the EAB has struck, admitting that it probably was there for 4-5 years before it was noticable in dead trees.  Put out a quarantine just for that county where dead trees were found with the EAB.
And no way will the Feds or local Gov'ts put the limits on the larger industry that has a stake in all this.
Just my opinion, and could be debated. :)


Well yes that doesn't seem fair now does it? OK, fairness aside it still seems to me that limiting some people from moving wood is better than leaving every body do whatever they want, doesn't it? And what would happen if you were to limit the loggers and sawmillers & people in the wood products industry from moving it? That doesn't seem possible or at least to be a very sound idea at all. I think it might help actually from having folks in general move it for firewood at least in urban areas because it isn't necessary really there are other species available for firewood in most places and it might slow the spread. But I know that if its coming this way I want to be prepared to cut/saw some ash as there are quite large quanitities of it spread out over most of the northern part of the state here. I remember when the elm died boy was there a lot of good firewood available in those years, and the morel picking got to be great. Ash is one of the best firewoods too I think.

Coon

Swamp as far as it goes with the Dutch Elm Disease control on the prairies here I have yet to see anyone even remotely care about the restrictions.  Many of the towns here in Saskatchewan have hundreds if not thousands of elm trees that line the streets and were planted many many moons ago.  There are also a great number of old homestead sites that have elm trees present.  Just yesterday I saw a pickup pulling a pickup box trailer and they were loaded to the hilts with elm firewood.  Where were they going and where did they come from? Who knows.   I do know that if I was to cut a few elms down here in town not one person would even care or say anything about it. 

This situation brings me to also tell you how pathetic this area of the province is in regards to any trees of any species.  I on a regular basis see so much good wood go to the dump because the people just don't want any of it.  Several times I have stopped to talk to land owners removing trees and have offered to do all of the tree cutting and clean up the mess just for the wood itself.  I get answers of anything from a simple NO to Why would you want any of this junk? when in all reality it would make for some beautiful firewood if not sawlogs.  Farmers are clearing off any of the bushland they have just to try get a few more acres.  More time than not the land they are clearing won't produce any decent famable land anyhow and is why the oldtimers never cleared it in the first place.  There is absolutely no respect for the land around here IMHO even when there are proven facts how we can benefit from the trees.

Sorry for the ranting....

Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

John Mc

Quote from: Coon on October 12, 2010, 12:07:01 PM
Just yesterday I saw a pickup pulling a pickup box trailer and they were loaded to the hilts with elm firewood.

If that was American Elm, I wouldn't want to be the one splitting it. By hand is a real pain. Even with a hydraulic splitter it's no fun.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

estiers

Quarantine regs are a funny thing (speaking as one of those people who enforced these specific rules for a couple of years).  When they are in place, affecting people negatively, then they are burdensome and over the top.  However, if they were not in place, many would be asking why the local / state / federal government is not doing anything to stop the thing.  Can't win for trying, I guess.

As for regulating logs / lumber - they are also regualted.  Mills and other processing plants within the quarantined area and on the outside of the quarantined area should be placed under compliance and follow specific procedures to minimize the risk of spread of the insect.  I cannot speak to if all locations are under compliance, but I suspect that because it is difficult to up and move a processing plant, that the regulators have been there and if they are processing ash, they are in compliance.  You happen to hear more about firewood, because anyone can sell firewood - all they need is a downed tree in their yard.  Firewood is the culprit of most of the "outlier" populations you see on the map, so the majority of outreach goes to the squeaky wheel, I suppose.

For EAB: You can visit www.emeraldashborer.info for the most recent map of quarantine boundaries and positive finds.
For ALB: You can visit www.beetlebusters.info for the most recent map of quarantine boundaries and positive finds.


Erin Stiers
State Plant Health Director - Minnesota
United States Department of Agriculture

John Mc

Thanks for those links. Just what I was looking for.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

chevytaHOE5674

As a sawmill in an area with EAB quarantines we have to have a compliance agreement with the department of Ag for the ash that we are to process. They have to come in and inspect where the ash was bought from, how is it being processed, where is the residue going, where are the boards going, can't be any bark on lumber or ties, yada yada. What it means for us is that we refuse to buy ash because it is too much of a headache.

Okrafarmer

Makes me glad I live outside the zone. I think I'm going to see if I can retrieve the 18" ash we dropped early this summer, and see if it's any good for processing.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

SwampDonkey

Bugs have probably found a good home by now in the sapwood. Typically we get oval buprestid holes and ambrosia.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Okrafarmer

Quote from: SwampDonkey on October 13, 2010, 03:34:38 AM
Bugs have probably found a good home by now in the sapwood. Typically we get oval buprestid holes and ambrosia.

You're probably right. I'll still have to have a look.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Clark

Quote from: Ed on October 07, 2010, 11:36:19 PMTotal devastation, there will be none left. Accept reality.
This is nothing like Dutch Elm disease, we still have Elm, they grow and die, some small, some large.
EAB is totally different, its a more efficient killer, 100% effective, 100% destruction. The tree dies a slow death, starving for nutrients, it sprouts suckers from the trunk and the base, it tries to grow leaves so it can live, to no avail. The borrers will travel from the ground to the top, 100% disruption of the cambium layer, from the time the first larva hatches, the tree is doomed.

Ed

From what I've read there will not be total devastation.  Those areas in Michigan where it hit first apparently have scattered ash that the EAB didn't hit.  If I recall correctly, this was in a town where most every ash was dead except several scattered individual trees.  They aren't sure exactly why this is the case.  Random chance doesn't fully explain it because an urban area would have a near 100% inoculation of EAB once they got a foothold. 

The other ash trees that will survive are the small ones.  I'm not sure how small a tree EAB will attack but I'm guessing those under 1" dbh will be fine.  In this part of the country there are acres and acres of forestland with ash blanketing the understory.  It won't be pretty when it comes but I have no doubt that ash will continue to live for at least one more generation.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

Okrafarmer

I suspect you're right, Clark. But I'm not a forester and I don't play one on TV either.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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