Emerald ash borer target of new Thunder Bay awareness campaign

The city of Thunder Bay has launched an awareness campaign to fight the spread of the emerald ash borer.

The invasive insect is already found in many parts of Ontario and is making its way north. It has the potential to wipe out an entire species of tree.

"It totally devastates all species of ash and it's killed hundreds of millions of trees," said city of Thunder Bay forester Shelley Vescio.

"It will change the ecosystems. You'll lose all the ecosystem services associated with those trees, " she said.

The green beetle is native to Asia and has been blamed for the loss of millions of trees across North America.

A 2013 Canadian Forest Service report showed it would cost the country as much as $2 billion over the next 30 years to cover the costs of treatment, removal or replacement of infected ash trees.The report also found that up to 98 per cent of ash trees die as a result of the pest within five years of infestation.

The Thunder Bay awareness campaign officially launched Thursday at Vickers Park. It involves wrapping bright green information ribbons around ash trees throughout the city .

"When you see ribbons down both sides of a block or in a park, then it really means something to you," Vescio said.

She believes it's only a matter of time before the emerald ash borer's presence will be felt in Thunder Bay.

"What we're hoping is that we can find it early enough in its infestation that we can keep the populations down," she said.

Vescio said the best way to prevent the emerald ash borer from spreading is to avoid transporting firewood.

Read the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers report on emerald ash borer pest risk analysis for northern Ontario and Manitoba here.