The scourge of the invasive emerald ash borer has reached the Woodburn area.
Officials from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Forestry announced that in Marion County, five beetles, indicating a “significant population,” were found in traps along the Pudding River south of Woodburn and west of Mount Angel, the release said.
“Given the trees did not show any signs of damage, we would not have known about this site for some time if not for the traps,” a specialist said.
Marion is the fourth county where the emerald ash borer has been found in the state, joining discoveries in Yamhill and Clackamas counties recently. The discoveries were confirmed by a USDA laboratory.
Contractor first to spot menace recently
Meanwhile, a contract worker for Portland General Electric, who had recently undergone Oregon Department of Agriculture training in identifying the pest, reported spotting the beetle in the Elliott Prairie area, east of Woodburn in Clackamas County, in mid-July after he noticed the tree canopy declining.