BEAVERTON Ore. (KPTV) – The invasive emerald ash borer has been confirmed in several new northwest Oregon locations, including Salem, Beaverton, and Rockcreek, marking a significant expansion of the destructive beetle’s footprint in the state, forestry officials announced Thursday.
The detections, confirmed in July after traps set in the spring were analyzed, represent the first time the pest has been found in Salem, Beaverton, Bethany Lake Park in Rockcreek, and the Oregon Garden in Silverton. The beetle was also discovered along the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, the first time it has been found in an Oregon state park. A suspected detection at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro is currently awaiting official state confirmation.
“Any ash tree can be infested, including native Oregon ash as well as non-native street, park and yard trees,” said Kat Bethea, an emerald ash borer specialist with the Oregon Department of Forestry…