Do your part to keep Virginia's ash trees safe

The emerald ash borer is a small, non-native beetle first noticed in the United States in Michigan in 2002. (Scientists believe the beetle has been in Michigan for up 10 years.) A native of Asia, its larvae have killed at least 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

State agencies there and the U.S. Forest Service conduct research, eradicate the pest by removing and burning infected trees, and work to quarantine the insects. They have been found in Maryland and Virginia. As of mid-2007, 287 ash trees in Virginia have been destroyed by the insect, but billions more are at risk.

According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the emerald ash borer and other pests can be easily transported in firewood so the simplest way you can prevent infestation by buying firewood at your destination instead of taking it with you when camping or hunting. And don't accept firewood from infested states.

Learn more by visiting www.StopTheBeetle.info.