FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 27, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Walsh, brian.walsh@state.sd.us

Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Union County – State Quarantine to be Extended

PIERRE S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has confirmed an infestation of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.

In response, DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts will extend the existing state Plant Pest Quarantine to include Union County. The updated quarantine area will now include all of Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner, and Union Counties. The quarantine is designed to slow the spread of EAB.  

The quarantine, which is in place year-round, prohibits the movement of firewood and ash materials out of the quarantined counties. Movement of firewood from any hardwood species, whether intended for commercial or private use, is also restricted. EAB has been positively identified in three counties, Lincoln, Minnehaha, and Union and six communities Brandon, Canton, Crooks, Dakota Dunes, Sioux Falls, and Worthing.

“We all need to work together to slow the spread of EAB,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “Firewood is the most common way EAB is moved from one location to another. Please, follow the quarantine restrictions and buy it where you burn it!”

If an ash tree is infested before it is cut, the wood may still contain EAB larvae. An individual split piece of ash firewood can have five or more adults emerge in the summer.

EAB is a boring beetle that feeds on all species of North American ash. It was first detected in the United States in 2002, and in South Dakota in 2018.

For more information about EAB or to report a suspected sighting please visit https://emeraldashborerinsouthdakota.sd.gov/.

- 30-