On August 19, at its regularly-scheduled meeting, the Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services extended the temporary Virginia Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine that had been established July 21 by VDACS Commissioner Todd P. Haymore.

The Board approved a permanent quarantine for ten northern Virginia counties and independent cities, including the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.

The permanent quarantine will become effective on October 29, following publication in the Virginia Register.

The quarantine restricts the movement of regulated articles from quarantined localities to non-quarantined localities. The regulated articles, which include ash trees, green (non-heat treated) ash lumber and ash wood products, as well as hardwood firewood, pose a significant risk of transporting EAB.

These regulated articles may move freely within the quarantined areas. The VDACS state quarantine mirrors a federal quarantine implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture to prevent the spread of this pest from Virginia to non-infested states.

For additional information about the Emerald Ash Borer and actions taken to combat its spread, click on the link below or call (804) 786-3515.

In other actions, the board also reviewed actions by Haymore effective July 15 that expanded the Virginia Gypsy Moth Suppression Quarantine regulated area to include Floyd and Franklin Counties. The Gypsy Moth Quarantine restricts movement of regulated articles known to transport gypsy moth. These articles include nursery stock, logs, outdoor household articles, trailers and more.