(courtesy of the Ohio Department of Agriculture)
REYNOLDSBURG, OH (July 18, 2014) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) are reminding property owners within the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) quarantined areas of Clermont County of their options for disposal of tree material. The quarantined areas include Tate Township, East Fork State Park and portions of Monroe, Stonelick and Batavia Townships.
• The ALB quarantine restricts the movement of hardwood logs, firewood, stumps, roots and branches out of the regulated area and also restricts the sale of nursery stock, green lumber, and logs of the following trees in the regulated area: maples, horse chestnut, buckeye, mimosa, birch, hackberry, ash, golden raintree, katsura, sycamore, poplar, willow, mountain ash, and elms.
• The ALB Marshalling Yard located at 2896 State Route 232 Bethel, Ohio, accepts tree material Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. The Marshalling Yard will accept only material from trees. Tree material from ALB-infested quarantined properties can be moved only to the Marshalling Yard.
• Individuals in the quarantined portions of Monroe, Stonelick and Batavia Townships must contact the ALB Program Office to obtain permits to move any regulated tree material to the USDA/ODA Marshalling Yard.
• Tree material can be cut to any length and burned on site. Before burning brush piles, residents must first contact their local fire department to obtain permission to burn. Tree material cannot leave the quarantined areas even when cut into firewood. Firewood is defined as wood cut to lengths of 4 feet or less. All species of hardwood firewood are regulated.
• Tree material can be chipped on site; however the material is quarantined and cannot leave a regulated area unless chipped by an operation under a compliance agreement with the ALB eradication program. To obtain a compliance agreement, please call (513) 381-7180.
• Non-ALB host species wood may be cut into logs greater than 4 feet in length and may leave quarantined areas only after inspection by the ALB eradication program. All parties involved in the logging operation must be under a compliance agreement with the ALB eradication program. Prior to moving logs or conducting any logging operations please contact the ALB Program Office for compliance assistance by calling (513) 381-7180.
Residents in the area are encouraged to contact the ALB Program Office at (513) 381-7180 with any questions they might have in regard to tree material disposal and movement. For a map of the quarantined area and other information on ALB please visit: http://agri.ohio.gov/topnews/asianbeetle/ and www.asianlonghornedbeetle.com