Jan. 19—WALKER, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed emerald ash borer in Kanabec County for the first time, as well as its spread to additional areas in Cass and Isanti counties. There are now 47 counties in the state with emerald ash borer.
These findings are attributed to emerald ash borer surveys being conducted this fall and winter by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in 156 Minnesota communities. The agriculture department was awarded a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service to conduct the surveys, which will assist communities in their efforts to protect forests. Surveying will continue through spring.
In Kanabec County, emerald ash borer infestations were found near the town of Quamba along Highway 23. Additional infestations were found near Hackensack in Cass County and Cambridge in Isanti County.
In December,
emerald ash borer was confirmed in Morrison County for the first time
. A suspected emerald ash borer infestation was reported at a campground in Genola. Minnesota Department of Agriculture staff also surveyed other areas in Morrison County and found emerald ash borer near Little Falls.
Emerald ash borer was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on emerald ash borer larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, emerald ash borer tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
To slow the spread of emerald ash borer, the agriculture department is enacting an emergency quarantine of Kanabec County. The department will also quarantine all of Isanti County. This is an expansion of the previous partial quarantine announced in November 2022. Furthermore, the agriculture department will quarantine the southern two-thirds of Cass County.
The northern border of the quarantine will now extend from the western county line along Highway 34 to Walker, Highway 200 to the southern exterior border of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, north to Highway 200, and east to the county border.
A portion of Cass County was first quarantined in October 2023.
Quarantines limit the movement of firewood, mulch, and all ash material out of the quarantined areas.
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in these counties will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 25. Experts from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. To register for the virtual meeting, go to
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The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add these county emergency quarantines to the state’s formal quarantine. The agriculture department is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantines through Feb. 29 and recommends adopting the quarantines on March 4. The proposed quarantine language can be found at
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Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting Kimberly Thielen Cremers, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 625 Robert St. N, St. Paul, MN 55155 or by email at
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