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Forest Service warns emerald ash borer found, requests mitigation and nursery support
Summary
State Forester Tom Claeys briefed the committee on Forest Service responsibilities, wildfire assistance, Towner State Nursery operations and the discovery of emerald ash borer in North Dakota; he requested one‑time mitigation funding and two conservation‑nursery positions to sustain tree production and community assistance.
Tom Claeys, state forester and head of the North Dakota Forest Service, told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that the agency—administratively aligned with NDSU—found emerald ash borer (EAB) in the state in 2024 and anticipates “devastating impacts.”
Why it matters: EAB attacks ash trees and could change windbreaks, shelterbelts and community tree canopy across large parts of North Dakota; mitigation will impose costs on local governments and landowners and require state coordination and funding.
Claeys described the Forest Service’s statutory duties, its organizational teams (administration; forestry and fire management;…
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