The pending ash tree crisis in southern Vermont, caused by the emerald ash borer (EAB), will be the subject of a Zoom meeting on Monday, Jan. 25 at 10 a.m.
“The EAB has infested many areas in Vermont and will soon strike southern Windsor County,” noted Ralph Pace, chairman of the Regional EAB Resource Committee (REREC). The map (right) represents the locations where EAB has already been detected in the state. He added that the question was no longer “would the EAB be detected in the area but when.”
Working with Hannah Dallas, county forester for southern Windsor County, and a group of representatives from southern Windsor County and parts of Rutland County, REREC has prepared documentation to assist both towns and propertyowners in the area in preparing for the infestation and developing plans for addressing the problem.
Dallas indicated that “we tend to have a hard time comprehending the depth of the EAB problem since it has not yet been detected in this area. The EAB may actually be here now; we just haven’t detected it.” She added that the planning for EAB control and management has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
The meeting, hosted by Okemo Valley TV, will update the participants on the status of EAB in the state, detail how local governments may prepare for EAB, and explain some of the steps private propertyowners may take to deal with the problem.
In addition to the members of REREC, private propertyowners are invited to join the January 25 meeting. They may contact Pace at ralphcpace@gmail.com or 802-228-7239 to receive the access information to the Zoom-app meeting. They will need to have the Zoom app downloaded to their computers.
