USDA Statement of Confirmation of Emerald Ash Borer in Oregon

On July 11, APHIS confirmed the identification of emerald ash borer in Washington County, Oregon. The Oregon Department of Agriculture believes that the infestation has been in Washington County at least 3-5 years. Regulatory efforts to stop the spread of emerald ash borer were not effective and it has spread through much of the United States. Emerald ash borer is now in 36 States and the District of Columbia.

APHIS’ goal is to maintain ash in the North American landscape. We will continue to work with our state partners to provide biological control options and integrated pest management methods, as well as ongoing public outreach support, to mitigate impacts from this pest. The biocontrol effort involves releasing tiny, stingless wasps into known infested areas. The wasp larvae feed on early life stages of the emerald ash borer, killing the beetle. Recent research shows that biocontrol is helping reduce emerald ash borer populations and can help the survival of young ash trees as forests recover from outbreaks. We look forward to continued collaboration with all our partners on the effort to combat emerald ash borer infestations.

APHIS encourages the public to be on the lookout and report emerald ash borer, and has outreach materials including videos, photos, factsheets, and online reporting available at: www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/eab. You can also sign up to receive the emerald ash borer program report through our Stakeholder Registry, by visiting: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/downloads/eab-report-sign-up.pdf.