RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) - An ash tree-killing pest found in some areas of Vermont has spread to Rutland County, the state said Thursday.
The emerald ash borer, which has killed millions of the country’s ash trees, was detected in West Rutland and it was the first confirmed discovery of the insect in Rutland County, officials said. The beetle was first found in Vermont in 2018 and is now confirmed in nine counties.
The state has recommended steps to slow the spread in the following communities that are within five miles of the infested area: Castleton, Clarendon, Hubbardton, Ira, Pittsford, Proctor, Rutland, Rutland City and West Rutland. The recommendations are also extended to towns in the high risk area. Those towns are Benson, Brandon, Chittenden, Fair Haven, Killington, Mendon, Middletown Springs, Poultney, Shrewsbury, Sudbury and Tinmouth.
Infestations naturally spread one to two miles a year but can spread faster and wider if movement of infested material, especially ash firewood and logs, is done without due care, the state said.
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