PARIS — The Historic District of Paris Hill will become a beehive of activity on Tuesday, July 15, as specialists from the State Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, members of the Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District and recent trainees of the Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project gather to survey the ash trees for signs of the damaging Emerald Ash Borer.

The recent finding of this damaging pest in Canterbury, N.H., brings the threat of destruction to the native population closer.

The Emerald Ash Borer attacks all species of ash, none of the trees are tolerant and all attacked trees will die. Over 40 million ash trees have died since first discovered in 2002.

The industries affected include furniture, flooring, tool making, sports equipment, native basketmaking and more.

During the ’60s and ’70s Maine lost many of its elms due to Dutch Elm Disease. Many communities had large natural populations of ash trees and replanted their street trees with ash. Reminiscent of the loss of  native elm trees, the ash will leave huge bare spots in the landscape.

To get an idea of the scope of this loss, volunteers will place bright colored tape around the ash trees on Paris Hill in the days leading up to the survey.

Another method of finding the EAB is the “purple trap.” It works by luring the pest with pheromones and trapping it on the sticky material inside the trap. Anyone traveling the main highways in Pennsylvania in recent years has seen countless numbers of these “purple traps” as they continue to fight the borer invasion.

While the goal of this project is to find healthy ash trees, the ultimate goal is to prepare for the damage wrought by this forest pest. By being proactive, residents will be able to monitor for EAB and begin planning for the future.

While there are some pesticide and biological options available, removal of affected trees may be necessary, so planting other species of trees not affected by EAB now will help lessen the devastation.

If interested in learning more about the Emerald Ash Borer or some of the other invasive forest pests, contact Lorraine Taft, forest pest outreach project coordinator, at 832-6241 or email [email protected].