EAB plan considered for national forest

RHINELANDER - Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest supervisors are considering plans to control the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle which was first identified in the U.S., in southeast Michigan, in 2002. The beetle has since spread to 13 states and two Canadian provinces. It was first found in Wisconsin last year, and in July, a beetle was caught in a trap in Green Bay. The insect feeds on tissues under the bark of ash trees and kills them.

• Click here to learn more about the emerald ash borer.

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest officials said Monday they were considering implementing the U.S. Forest Service’s “SLAM” (Slow Ash Mortality) plan to control the insect. SLAM includes cutting and sanitizing infected trees and all ash trees within 50 feet, and creating “sink” and “trap” trees to lure the beetle and destroy it.

The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has nearly 250,000 acres containing ash trees. The entire forest covers about 1.5 million acres in northern Wisconsin, including parts of Florence and Oconto counties.

• Click here to learn more about the forest.