Bluestem was not surprised to see via an interactive map accompanying John Reinan's article in the Star Tribune, 41 Minnesota cities are switched from urban to rural classification, that St. James, the capitol of Watonwan County, was no longer an urban center.
I've always been fond of Watonwan County, where my mother's hometown--Madelia--provided a temporary jail cell for Cole Younger, and a home for 1920 Nobel Prize for Literature winner Knut Hamsun in 1883–1884, before he took off for Minneapolis.
Such are rural pleasures.
What hasn't made me happy is Saturday's news in the New Ulm Journal, Emerald Ash Borer found in Watonwan County:
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Watonwan County for the first time. There are now 38 counties in the state, including Watonwan, with EAB. Other counties in the area include Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Nicollet and Sibley.
An employee with the University of Minnesota Extension contacted the MDA after suspecting a group of trees in the town of Butterfield was infested with EAB. MDA staff were able to find EAB larvae and collect samples. Federal identification confirmed emerald ash borer.
EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Watonwan County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine of the county, which limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Watonwan County will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 10-11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab . . .
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Watonwan County will be held on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 10-11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
On Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m, a joint meeting of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy and Senate Climate, Environment and Legacy committees will hear Informational Presentations on Emerald Ash Borer.
We first learned about the presentations via the DNR Weekly Legislative Update - January 6, 2023, but we're not sure which agency will be making the presentations. We'll update this post when more detailed agendas are available.
Whatever the case, we're hoping that we won't hear divisive rhetoric about community tree management for EAB being an "urban" thing that only serves evil metro areas.
All of the communities in Watonwan County--and many others with EAB infestations--are rural. Other EAB attacks are urban. Wherever Minnesotans live, let's hope the next generation of forestry covers every neighborhood.
Photo: An emerald ash borer, an invasive species that's often deadly to ash trees, a common Minnesota tree.
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