According to a press release from the Colorado State Forest Service out of Colorado State University, the damaging emerald ash borer has been confirmed to be on the state’s Western Slope for the first time. The announcement comes after experts found the bug species in the picturesque mountain town of Carbondale in June.

“This is a large jump by the emerald ash borer to be found on the Western Slope; most likely it was brought into the community in firewood. This is just another example of why it’s so important to buy your firewood locally,” said Kamie Long, interim manager of Urban & Community Forestry at the Colorado State Forest Service.

The emerald ash borer is known for killing ash trees, with this tree species accounting for roughly 15 percent or more of all urban trees in Colorado. The bug can attack and kill trees within about two to four years regardless of their prior health.

An estimated 470 ash trees can be found on public property in the Carbondale area, with even more in Aspen, which is about 30 miles northwest. It’s suspected the bug species has been present in this area for at least two years, though their impact is just now being noticed.

The emerald ash borer made headlines earlier this month, with its detection in the Front Range city of Littleton. Littleton is home to about 45,000 ash trees which are now threatened by the presence of the bug.

The Emerald Ash Borer is native to Asia, but is believed to have made its way to North America in the 1990s via imports including ash wood pallets or wood packing material. It was first discovered in southeast Michigan in 2002, soon starting its spread across the country. The species was first detected in Colorado when it was found in Boulder in 2013. The species has also been detected in Front Range cities of Gunbarrel, Longmont, Lafayette, Lyons, Superior, Broomfield, Westminster, Erie, Arvada, and Thornton.

In response to the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer, the Colorado State Forest Service has been working to fight back. In addition to spreading information about how to prevent tree infection, quarantine areas have been established, enhanced detection efforts have been made, and biocontrol measures that target and kill Emerald Ash Borer larvae have been implemented.

Read more about the Emerald Ash Borer in Colorado here.

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