The Kansas Department of Agriculture has implemented a permanent intrastate quarantine for certain firewood, nursery plants and mulch that is shipped in and out of Wyandotte County to prevent further spread of emerald ash borer in Kansas.

The agency first implemented a 90-day quarantine in response to the Aug. 29 discovery of emerald ash borer in Wyandotte County. The discovery was the first-ever confirmed case of the pest in Kansas. Jeff Vogel, KDA Plant Protection and Weed Control program manager, said making the quarantine permanent will help prevent the further spread of the emerald ash borer in Kansas.

“Prevention is the key to limiting the spread of emerald ash borer,” Vogel said. “In Kansas, we worked for years on emerald ash borer prevention and surveillance efforts, which allowed us to catch the pest early. We will continue our surveillance efforts. The permanent quarantine in Wyandotte County will also give us another tool to prevent further infestations in Kansas.”

The quarantine applies to any corporation, company, society, association, partnership, governmental agency, and any individual or combination of individuals. It prohibits movement of regulated items from the quarantined area, except under specific conditions established in the quarantine order.

Regulated items under quarantine include the following:

• The emerald ash borer, (Agrilus planipennis [Coleoptera: Buprestidae]), in any living stage of development;
• Firewood of all hardwood (non-coniferous) species;
• Nursery stock of the genus Fraxinus (Ash);
• Green lumber of the genus Fraxinus (Ash);
• Other material living, dead, cut, or fallen, including logs, stumps, roots, branches, and composted and uncomposted chips of the genus Fraxinus (Ash); 
• Any other article, product, or means of conveyance that an inspector determines presents a risk of spreading emerald ash borer and notifies the person in possession of the article, product, or means of conveyance that it is subject to the restrictions of the regulations.

In addition, the permanent quarantine requires any person in Kansas who is not in the quarantine zone to report within 72 hours the discovery of emerald ash borer to the Kansas Department of Agriculture at ppwc@kda.ks.gov or at 785-862-2180.

“Emerald ash borer has cost the United States up to $60 million in economic loss. Preventing this destructive pest from spreading in Kansas is important for the health of ash trees throughout the state but also for our economy,” Vogel said. “We have worked cooperatively with USDA, the Kansas Forest Service and K-State Research and Extension on prevention efforts and will continue working with our partners to hold stakeholder meetings and educational sessions to assure that all necessary facilities and individuals are equipped to treat and dispose of emerald ash borer infested material properly to prevent further spread of the pest.”

To learn the most current information on the quarantine and meeting schedule, visit www.ksda.gov/plant_protection/content/379. To learn more about the emerald ash borer, visit www.emeraldashborer.info.