Salem is bracing for the arrival of the emerald ash borer and implementing a management plan to slow the spread of the aggressive tree pest and preserve the city’s tree canopy.
The emerald ash borer, one of the most destructive invasive insects in the United States , is known for killing 99% of Michigan’s ash trees.
The small metallic-green beetle is native to eastern Asia. The insect’s larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, triggering canopy dieback and tree death.
The trees impacted by the borer are found throughout the city, including at popular spots like Minto-Brown Island Park.
After the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the detection of the ash borer in Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas counties on Wednesday, the city moved quickly to enact its emerald ash borer management plans.
An Oregon Department of Forestry invasive species specialist found adult emerald ash borers in traps set along the Pudding River south of Woodburn and west of Mt. Angel this summer.
“We are collaborating with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Agriculture and have plans in place to start implementing preservation strategies this coming spring and to complete an overall management strategy to protect urban tree canopy against EAB for years to come,” Salem’s Urban Forester, Milan Davis, said.