Emerald Ash Borer Regulated Areas Expanded

OTTAWA, Jan. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated its regulated areas for emerald ash borer (EAB) to include a new area in Manitoba and to expand the areas in Quebec. This change is due to new detections of EAB in Winnipeg and southern Quebec in 2017 and is intended to slow the insect's spread. The new regulated areas are as follows:

In Manitoba:

• The City of Winnipeg

In Quebec, the following municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) have been added to the existing regulated area:

• Lanaudière, in the municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) of Matawinie
• Centre du Québec, in the municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) of Arthabaska, Bécancour, Drummond, L'Érable, Nicolet-Yamaska
• Estrie, in the municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) of Coaticook, Le Granit, Le Haut-St-François, Le Val- Saint-François, Les Sources, Memphrémagog, Sherbrooke
• Chaudière-Appalaches, in the municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) of Beauce-Sartigan, Bellechasse, La Nouvelle-Beauce, Les Appalaches, Les Etchemins, Lévis, Lotbinière, Robert-Cliche
• Capitale-Nationale, in the municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) of La Côte de Beaupré, La Jacques-Cartier, L'île d'Orléans, Portneuf, Agglomération de Québec
• Mauricie, in the municipalités régionales de comté (MRCs) of Les Chenaux, Maskinongé, Mékinac, Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières

All other regulated areas in Ontario and Quebec remain unchanged.

Effective immediately, the movement of ash materials, including logs, branches and woodchips, and all species of firewood from the affected sites is restricted. If you need to move regulated articles such as ash logs and branches or firewood of any species out of the EAB regulated areas, please contact your local CFIA office to request written authorization.

Although the emerald ash borer poses no threat to human health, it is highly destructive to ash trees. It has already killed millions of ash trees in Ontario, Quebec and the United States, and poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas of North America. The CFIA continues to work with federal, provincial, and municipal government partners to slow the spread of this pest.

Quick facts

• Moving untreated firewood is a common way for invasive insects and diseases to spread.
• The emerald ash borer is native to China and eastern Asia. Its presence in Canada was first confirmed in 2002.
• Prior to these new detections, the emerald ash borer was known to be present only in certain areas of Ontario and Quebec. Affected areas are regulated by the CFIA to protect Canada's forests, municipal trees and nurseries.

Associated links

• Areas regulated for the emerald ash borer
• Additional information on the emerald ash borer
• Don't move firewood

Follow the CFIA on social media
Twitter: @CFIA_Canada

SOURCE Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)