SALEM, Ore. — A known invasive insect species has been identified for the first time in Salem following earlier detections in Marion County and other parts of Oregon. We have been anticipating this detection and planning for the arrival of the insect for several years.
Today, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced the first detection of the emerald ash borer, or EAB, in Salem, as well as Beaverton and Rockcreek. EAB is a harmful beetle that attacks and kills ash trees. It has spread across North America since it was first found in Michigan in 2002, destroying hundreds of millions of ash trees.
The first sightings of this beetle in Oregon occurred in 2022 near Forest Grove. Since then, surveys have found EAB in Woodburn and other parts of Marion County, and Marion County has been one of several counties under a permanent quarantine since 2024…