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Ash Borer Spreads To Northwestern Vermont

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U.S. Department of Agriculture
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The emerald ash borer has now been detected in five Vermont counties.

The emerald ash borer has been detected in Grand Isle County. It’s the latest confirmation of the presence of the damaging insect in Vermont.

Since it was first discovered in February, the insect has been found in Orange, Washington, Caledonia, and Bennington counties.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets says the larval form of the emerald ash borer was found in trees in South Hero and confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The South Hero trees are about fifty miles from the closest previously confirmed case. State and federal officials plan to survey the area to determine the extent of the infestation.

The emerald ash borer has been found in 35 other states and five Canadian provinces and has killed hundreds of millions of trees. Much of its spread is through infested wood, like firewood. The state recommends that Vermonters purchase only local firewood and refrain from transporting ash logs or pruning debris.

Ash trees account for about five percent of Vermont’s forests.

Steve has been with VPR since 1994, first serving as host of VPR’s public affairs program and then as a reporter, based in Central Vermont. Many VPR listeners recognize Steve for his special reports from Iran, providing a glimpse of this country that is usually hidden from the rest of the world. Prior to working with VPR, Steve served as program director for WNCS for 17 years, and also worked as news director for WCVR in Randolph. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Steve also worked for stations in Phoenix and Tucson before moving to Vermont in 1972. Steve has been honored multiple times with national and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for his VPR reporting, including a 2011 win for best documentary for his report, Afghanistan's Other War.
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