City Updates EAB Ordinance

Through action taken at the March 18 meeting, the Pierre City Commission made it illegal to transport Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infected wood between Labor Day and Memorial Day.

The Pierre Arbor Board requested the local ordinance change to help limit the spread of the beetle and the destruction it causes.

"The Emerald Ash Borer is a poor flyer," said Bryan Tipton, City Parks and Recreation Director. "The experts will tell you the bug has made its way across the country by hitching a ride on infected firewood that's being transported by campers and trucks."

Tipton further explained that to contain the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, infected wood shouldn't be transported during warmer months when the insect is active. The infected wood should stay at the felling location until cooler weather sets in.

The Pierre City Commission first heard the request for the ordinance change at its March 11 meeting. The commission took second reading and accepted the change at the March 18 meeting.

The EAB is a beetle that feeds on ash trees and is responsible for the destruction of tens of millions of trees in North America. It was first found in South Dakota in 2018. It has not yet been found in Pierre. When it arrives in Pierre it will kill all unprotected ash trees in the community making them brittle and unsafe. At last count, city staff estimated there are more than 1,200 ash trees in the community.

For more information about EAB and how to protect your trees, visit CityofPierre.org.