Hundreds of people attended the emerald ash borer public forum Aug. 19 at the Washington County Fairground. Since discovery of the invasive insects earlier this month in Washington and Ozaukee counties, education has become a key to preventing its spread.

Ten informational tables provided information about what the insects look like, how to identify ash trees, pesticide use, planning and parks, sticky traps, firewood and how the quarantine will affect businesses, homes and properties.

Harlow Stork of Slinger harvests firewood and commercial sawmills for up to eight counties. He gave his name and phone number to Greg Hines of the Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development Council, which is working on developing markets and locating portable sawmills and wood cutters to be part of a support system in combating the bugs and using the ash.

"I want him on my list because we need to know who the woodcutters are, because they will be called in for harvesting the wood," Mr. Hines said.

"That's why I am here, I have a few unanswered questions about transporting wood," Mr. Stork said.

Angie Niestuchowski of David J. Frank Landscaping Contractors in Germantown also had questions.

"If a crew is sent to Milwaukee County, we have to think about the mulch," she said. "We can't take it out of Washington or Ozaukee counties because of the quarantine. ... I don't even know what the dump is doing. These are things we have to now think about, plan and route."

Homeowners with ash trees in the yard were seeking to protect them through pesticides. Eradication calls for treating the trees hermetically within 12 miles of the infested areas, said UW-Madison Department of Entomology Diagnostic Lab director Phil Pellitteri. Entomologists recommend not using anything on the trees outside the affected areas.

Bayer Advanced Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control, with the active ingredient imidacloprid, was recommended for people wanting to use an insecticide treatment. Ferti-lome Systemic Tree and Shrub Drench was another option. The insecticides are applied in the spring as soil drenches about 2 feet from the trees' bases. The trees take up the insecticide through their roots. Treatments must be repeated annually.

The treatments aren't practical for forests. Because of that, the quarantine was put in place, stopping the transportation of all firewood from the four quarantine counties: Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Washington and Ozaukee.

Within those counties, ash-tree material can be moved without restrictions. Wood can be taken into the counties from other counties, but none may be moved outside of the quarantined counties, said JoAnn Cruse, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service plant health director.

Emerald ash borer regulations

? Nurseries: Ash nursery stock is prohibited from being distributed outside of the EAB quarantined area.

? Mills and loggers: Ash logs can't be moved out of the quarantined area during the adult flight period (about April 1 to Sept. 30) unless fumigated or debarked. From Oct. 1 to March 31, ash logs may be moved to an approved mill outside of the quarantined area for processing by March 31. Processes must be approved by state or federal agriculture agencies.

? Firewood producers and users: All hardwood firewood is prohibited from distribution outside the EAB quarantined area unless it has been heat treated, fumigated or debarked (plus removal of a half-inch of wood). Processes must be approved by state or federal agriculture agencies. Firewood not for commercial sale (homeowner use) may be moved within the quarantined area but users should avoid moving firewood any distance from the area the wood originated from.

? Green lumber manufacturers: Ash lumber will need to be processed in an approved manner, such as complete removal of bark (plus a half-inch of wood), kiln drying by approved standards, or fumigation prior to distribution out of the quarantined area. Processes must be approved by state or federal agriculture agencies.

? Pallet producers: Ash lumber, generated from ash within the quarantined area, used to make pallets will need to be processed in a manner approved by state or federal agencies.

? Wood waste: Wood waste from pruning, storm damage or removals should not be moved from the point of action. Locations for wood-waste drop-off may be established in the future.

For information, contact Bob Dahl at (608) 224-4573 or robert.dahl@wisconsin.gov or JoAnn Cruse at (608) 231-9545 or joann.m.cruse@aphis.usda.gov.

Diane Baumgart can be reached at dianebaumgart@sbcglobal.net.