MARQUETTE, MI – (Great Lakes Radio News) – Foresters from the Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Technological University are examining more than 30,000 acres of state forest land for signs of emerald ash borer (EAB) and beech bark disease (BBD).
The process of harvesting ash and beech from identified areas is ongoing in an attempt to recover timber value before the resources are killed by the two exotic forest pests.
EAB and BBD are killing ash and beech in hardwood forests throughout the state. Each pest is specific to its host, only killing that particular tree species.
The work is funded in part by federal grants from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Pest and Disease Revolving Loan Fund, and are administered by the USDA Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry, Forest Health Program.
The ash and beech harvests are being conducted in consultation with D-N-R wildlife biologists and other resource professionals who review timber sales for their impact on forest value.
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