The District has been put under quarantine — for the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture added the city, plus Baltimore and nine counties to its quarantine area, D.C. spokesman John Lisle said Monday. That means wood and wood products such as firewood, wood chips and compost are blocked from crossing state lines to prevent the spread.
The beetle is a native of China that made its first appearance stateside in Michigan in 2002, then spread across the country. It has already caused the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees.
D.C. doesn’t have many of the beetle’s beloved ash trees, though, according to Casey Trees’ inventory.
