The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has already
devastated millions of trees in Michigan since 2002, has now
been confirmed to be present in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park of North Carolina and Tennessee. Following routine
inspections of traps last week, the beetle’s presence was
detected within Tennessee state lines near the Sugarlands
Visitor Center and in the Greenbrier area. The beetle was sent
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist for
confirmation. Traps for the beetle have been set since 2008 as
part of an effort to stop its spread by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS). The park was considered to be at high risk of new
infestation because of the high volume of visitors from infected
areas. The 1/2-inch-long emerald ash borer devastates trees by
laying eggs in ash tree’s crevices. When the larvae hatch, they
burrow under the bark and create feeding tunnels that make it
impossible for trees to translocate nutrients and f