Tri-State Emerald Ash Borer Workshop is April 9 in Indiana

ANGOLA, Ind. — What homeowners and landowners can do about the emerald ash borer (EAB) — an exotic killer of native ash trees — is the focus of a Saturday, April 9, workshop sponsored by the states hit hardest by the pest: Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

The Tri-State Emerald Ash Borer Workshop, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Pokagon State Park, Angola, Ind., looks at the current spread of EAB; how it’s being battled; and the options homeowners and landowners have regarding tree-planting, timber marketing, management, assistance and utilization.

Location is the Potawatomi Inn in the park, 450 Lane 100 Lake James.

Advance registration is required. Cost is $20 per person until March 31 and $30 from April 1 to April 5. Included in the cost are lunch, breaks and a notebook of information from all three states.

Sponsoring the program are Ohio State University Extension; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; the Ohio Department of Agriculture; Purdue University; the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Michigan State University Extension; and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The morning speakers, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., are Bob Waltz, state entomologist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources; Dan Herms, entomologist with OSU Extension and the university’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC); and Sharon Lucik, APHIS. Their topics: EAB and what it does, where it is, how it affects people who have ash trees on their property, and what those people can do about it.

The afternoon program, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., offers two concurrent sessions — one on woodland management, one on backyard management.

The woodland management topics and speakers:

— “Woodland Management/Regeneration/Tree-planting,” Dan Ernst, assistant state forester, Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

— “Timber Marketing and Sources of Assistance,” Kathy Smith, Extension forestry associate, OSU Extension.

— “Utilization Options,” Dan Cassens, Extension secondary wood products specialist, Purdue University.

The backyard-management topics and speakers:

— “Management Options for Existing Trees: How to Hire an Arborist,” Amy Stone, Extension educator, OSU Extension, Lucas County.

— “Strategies for Tree Replacement and Planting (Species),” Stephanie Miller, urban forester, Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

— “Sources of Assistance,” Stone.

— “Utilization Options,” Anthony Weatherspoon, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

From 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. will be state breakout sessions in which workshop participants can question their home-state experts — representatives from the sponsoring organizations.

When registering, please indicate your preference for either the woodland session or the backyard session and also for which of the three state breakout sessions — Ohio, Michigan or Indiana — you’d like to attend. 

Make checks payable to The Ohio State University and send them, along with the name and address of each person registering, to Ohio Woodland Stewards Program, 210 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210.

Online registration is available at http://woodlandstewards.osu.edu. Or call (614) 688-3421.

Continuing-education documentation is available for an additional $10 through OSU Extension. Call the registration number for further information.

Angola, Ind., is about 90 miles south of Lansing, Mich.; 90 miles west of Toledo, Ohio; and 45 miles north of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Details about EAB in the tri-state area are at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/.

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