On Monday, the Oregon Department of Forestry confirmed that the emerald ash borer has been discovered in three new counties in the Willamette Valley. In the past month, the invasive pest was caught in traps set in Marion and Yamhill counties, and is also suspected of being in neighboring Clackamas County, pending confirmation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The highly destructive beetle, which is native to Asia, has killed over 100 million ash trees nationwide since it first appeared in the U.S. over 20 years ago. The state’s agriculture and forestry departments quickly mobilized to contain it when it was first spotted in Oregon in Forest Grove in Washington County two years ago. Those efforts included issuing a quarantine that’s now permanent to prevent the movement of firewood and other plant materials out of the county made from ash, white fringe and olive trees. State crews have also removed infested ash trees and have been treating healthy trees with insecticide near infestation sites. Lilah Gonen is a community assistance forester and the emerald ash borer coordinator for ODF. They join us to talk about the state’s efforts to slow the spread of emerald ash borer and the threat it poses to native Oregon ash trees.