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Lincoln County and Pipestone County are under an emergency quarantine for firewood and other wood products after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in both counties.
The MDA announced Monday that experts had confirmed the presence of EAB in Lincoln County after a property manager found the insects at a campground on the northeast side of Lake Benton. The MDA also confirmed an infested ash tree in Pipestone County, at the city of Jasper's yard waste site.
Lincoln and Pipestone County join southwest Minnesota counties like Lyon, Redwood, Murray, Rock and Nobles County in having a known presence of ash borers.
The emerald ash borer is a small green insect that lays its eggs on ash trees. The ash borer larvae tunnel under ash trees' bark, damaging and eventually killing the trees. EAB was officially detected in Marshall in 2023, but the insects have been present in Minnesota since at least 2009.
According to the MDA, there are now 62 counties in Minnesota known to have emerald ash borer infestations.
Because this is the first time EAB has been found in Lincoln and Pipestone Counties, the MDA said it is enacting an emergency quarantine, which limits the movement of firewood and items like ash tree logs, waste, wood chips and mulch. Limiting the movement of firewood and ash tree materials outside affected counties helps reduce the risk of EAB traveling to new places.
The MDA is also taking public comments as it considers adding Lincoln and Pipestone Counties to its formal state quarantine for EAB. Public comments are being accepted through Nov. 6. The MDA is recommending the formal quarantine be adopted on Nov. 9. More information on the proposed quarantine can be found on the MDA's website, at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/emerald-ash-borer-quarantine.
The MDA will be holding a virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Lincoln and Pipestone Counties. The meeting will include a brief presentation and a question-and-answer session, the MDA said. The virtual meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 30. Participants can register on the MDA's website, at the ash borer quarantine page.