In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has detected emerald ash borer (EAB) for the first time in Burnett County.
DNR Forest Health staff detected this ash tree-killing beetle at a private residence in the Town of Meenon on June 13. EAB was confirmed by USDA-APHIS on July 18. Two trees on the property displayed characteristic symptoms of EAB presence, including woodpecker flecking and tree decline.
Burnett County is the third new county detection of 2024 and is the last remaining Wisconsin county to confirm EAB. First confirmed in Ozaukee County in July 2008, EAB has since spread to all 72 Wisconsin counties in just under 16 years. EAB’s rapid spread across North America, and destruction of millions of ash trees in Wisconsin, underscores the importance of proactive measures to mitigate impacts of future invasive plant pests.
DATCP will continue to conduct early-detection surveys to identify emerging pest issues and respond rapidly to plant pest threats. At this time, the department will continue to track the spread of EAB at the township and municipal level in an effort to inform management efforts as this pest spreads into currently uninfested areas of Wisconsin.
There are no state or federal regulatory changes as a result of this detection. EAB was federally deregulated as of January 14, 2021 and Wisconsin rescinded its state quarantine effective July 1, 2023.
