Emerald Ash Borer

I last spoke about Missouri's silent killer, the Emerald Ash Borer. I promised to tell you how it impacts you. Being a woman of my word, "Let's talk."

The voracious insect migrated across the ocean in cargo ships or airplanes arriving from Asia. He hitchhiked in crates of imported goods. He made his presence known to the U.S. in Southeastern Michigan during the summer of 2002. Between 2003 and 2007 he reared his ugly head in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Missouri and Virginia were unceremoniously added to the list in 2008.

He killed tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan alone. Federal quarantines of ash, logs and other hardwoods are in place for areas where the Emerald Ash Borer infestation occurs. But, "How does all of this affect me?" you might ask.

This tiny terror has cost us plenty, but promises to cost us even more. The price of which will spill directly into your wallet and energy; two of your most precious resources.

*With the utter destruction of millions of trees he depletes our oxygen levels, thereby adding to potential ozone problems. Since we cannot rebuild our ozone layer, we spend billions as a nation looking for alternative solutions. The more photosynthesis options we lose, the more money it costs us.

*As municipal, local, state and national government agencies look for answers they spend our tax dollars. The more widespread the problem, the more money we need to fund them.

*The Emerald Ash Borer concentrates his efforts on the ash family of trees, a popular choice for urban landscapers. It's common beauty is also resplendent in our wild forests. For every tree killed, more time and money have to be spent to replace them with another variety. And since no one wants to feed the monster, we lose the unique quality of the ash, because they cannot be replanted.

*And finally, no one yet knows the long term consequences from losing a viable life source in our global food chain. If this problem continues unchecked, we could see our entire ash population wiped out. Their extinction would certainly affect other life forms around them.

*All of this drills down to the bottom line, "YOU." If you import wood from one location to another, you could potentially violate federal and/or state regulations. This could result in fines or other legal ramifications. As awareness and migration of the Emerald Ash Borer heighten, so could the degree of punishment for those caught unwittingly moving the little varmint.

He may dwarf in size when compared to a copper penny, but his massive bite is felt across our country. Please stay tuned as we talk next time. I beg you to join our efforts at Ozark Outdoors in healing our environment. We need your help!