TOPEKA, Kansas -- The Kansas Department of Agriculture has implemented a permanent intrastate quarantine for certain firewood, nursery plants and mulch that is shipped in and out of Wyandotte County to prevent further spread of emerald ash borer in Kansas.
The agency first implemented a 90-day quarantine in response to the Aug. 29 discovery of emerald ash borer in Wyandotte County.
The discovery was the first-ever confirmed case of the pest in Kansas.
Jeff Vogel, KDA Plant Protection and Weed Control program manager, said making the quarantine permanent will help prevent the further spread of the emerald ash borer in Kansas.
"Prevention is the key to limiting the spread of emerald ash borer," Vogel said. "In Kansas, we worked for years on emerald ash borer prevention and surveillance efforts, which allowed us to catch the pest early. We will continue our surveillance efforts. The permanent quarantine in Wyandotte County will also give us another tool to prevent further infestations in Kansas."
