Some Wood Products are Quarantined

South Carolina has placed a statewide emergency quarantine of some wood products because of an invasive pest that inhabits and destroys native ash trees. The pest is called the Emerald Ash Borer. During this quarantine, the Department of Plant Industry at Clemson University will regulate the interstate movement of all ash wood and wood products, along with all hardwood firewood. The action follows a hearing last week in which landowners, timber industry professionals and other discussed ways to deal with the pest. In August, USDA detection traps revealed the insect in Oconee, Greenville, and Spartanburg counties. That marked the first discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in South Carolina. The small bug is responsible for the death or decline of hundreds of millions of ash trees. About half the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bats are made from white ash. Tim Drake, state entomologist, says it’s likely the infestation already has occurred beyond the three South Carolina counties.