The May “Weed” of the Month is Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis). This one is actually not a weed, but an invasive insect. It was first found in Yamhill County in 2024, with a second detection in 2025. To avoid helping this insect spread further, do not move firewood more than 5 miles if at all possible. Yamhill County is in a firewood quarantine to avoid spreading this destructive insect, so do not move firewood from Yamhill County to other counties.

The Nature Conservancy has a variety of webinars coming up in May to spread awareness and help slow the spread of emerald ash borer.

Emerald ash borer Awareness Week is around the corner! TNC’s Don’t Move Firewood educational outreach campaign (another part of TNC’s Forest Pest and Pathogen Program) hosts a series of webinars each year during the week before Memorial Day (May 17-23 this year) to discuss this notorious insect and other pests that spread via the firewood pathway. Unfortunately, this year, that means it’s the same week as the TSIP All Hands Meeting. So, while many of you may be unable to tune in, we would greatly appreciate it if you spread the word to your colleagues and any appropriate listservs to reach folks who may be interested. The registration links are active and listed below! For more details on each webinar, see here.

Tuesday May 19, 2026 @ 11:00am EST
Resistance to EAB is real – here’s what we can do to help restore ash in the future (led by TSIP PAG member Carrie Pike– thanks for covering this, Carrie!)
Register Here

Wednesday May 20, 2026 @ 1:00 EST
Ash-kicking Outreach in Oregon and Washington
Register Here

Thursday May 21, 2026 @ 1:00 EST
EAB from crisis to opportunity: managing & growing a resilient urban forest in Minneapolis, MN
Register Here