On June 30, 2022, Emerald ash borer was spotted in Oregon for the first time, marking its first appearance west of the Rocky Mountains.
Native to eastern Asia, EAB was spotted in Michigan about 20 years ago and has spread to 35 states since. The half-inch long metallic-green beetle is now considered the most destructive forest pest of North America. Although it is harmless to people and animals, it has proven deadly to all ash species in North America, including the native Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia).

The Columbia SWCD, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have set traps around the county for the past 3 years to survey for EAB and have had 0 sightings to report so far. We will be placing traps again later this summer.

We are looking for volunteers to monitor Ash tree health around Columbia County by locating and uploading observation to iNaturalist. Learn how to recognize ash trees here.

If you believe you have found evidence of EAB, please report your sighting to oregoninvasiveshotline.org or call 1-866-INVADER.
You can also contact us or list your findings on iNaturalist.

Learn more about EAB and Oregon’s first sighting in the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s news release.

Download the “Management Challenge: Emerald Ash Borer” brief here.

More information and resources can be found here.