SALEM, OR -- As fire restrictions drop in some parts of the coast and Willamette Valley, Oregon State Parks officials ask visitors who plan to use firewood to "buy where you burn," to slow the spread of a devastating bug.
"They only fly five to 10 miles on their own. But, they're really good at hitchhiking." State Parks Central Forester Nick Morris is talking about the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive species that could devestate Oregon's native ash trees.
Stefanie Knowlton, with Oregon Parks and Recreation, says the EAB's preferred mode of hitchhiking is firewood, "You can imagine, if somebody puts firewood in the back of their truck and they haul it a couple hundred miles away to a campsite, they've brought it to a whole nother area of the state." Instead, she asks State Park visitors who plan to use firewood to, "Either buy it within 10 miles of their destination, or buy heat-treated wood. And that way it's to reduce the risk of bringing emerald ash borer into the park."
The new request is part of a broader plan created several years ago by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, to respond to the bug, "Basically, that outlines a bunch of different things that we are going to do as an agency to help slow that spread," says Morris.
Emerald Ash Borer was recently detected in Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties, in addition to the existing Washington County infestation. Morris says staff haven't yet found any EAB on State Parks property, "They've been trapping all summer, eight different parks. And, so far so good. But they're close." One of the recent detections is in Woodburn, which is not far from ash stands in Champoeg (pictured) and Willamette Mission State Parks.
Knowlton says the firewood request is an effort to allow the agency more time to plant resistant tree species, "So, those trees can grow up in the canopy and provide that shade that the ash trees currently provide, but as they die off, will no longer be able to provide. And so, it gives a way to soften the impact of the loss of those ash trees on the forest health, overall." OPRD is no longer planting ash trees, but hopes to eventually restore those lost to EAB in future years.
?Oregon's Department of Agriculture already limits the movement of wood from Washington, Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties, with quarantines on ash wood, as well as white fringe and olive. For more, visit ODA's website.
