Is Ash wood soon to be extinct? Robert Dalheim of Woodworking Network reported on September 6, 2017 that the Emerald Ash Borer, referred to as EAB, is a threat to all North American Ash trees.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) | Photo via Woodworking Network
Ash is known as the wood of choice for baseball bats. Its solid workability and overall strength makes it a fantastic choice for custom wood countertops. Ash wood countertops have a great shock resistance and has phenomenal staining potential.
Ash Wood Countertop
There are about 8.7 billion Ash trees in North America valued at more than $280 billion. The EAB has already killed approximately 50 million trees. Ash trees are marked with s-shaped galleries or tunnels found beneath the bark when infested by the EAB.
Ash trees are marked with s-shaped galleries or tunnels found beneath the bark when infested | Photo via Woodworking Network
Wisconsin state officials have confirmed that the EAB has spread to five new counties as well as South Carolina. All Wisconsin counties will be quarantined, requiring that firewood and other wood products stay inside quarantined areas. EAB is now in 46 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, covering about two-thirds of the state. South Carolina is also enforcing quarantine initiatives that may cover all 46 counties in the state. Officials in both states are asking for the public’s help in limiting the movement of firewood.
In addition to implementing quarantines, efforts have been made to service logs of dead, infected trees into lumber and other wood products. Using a specialized heating chamber, researchers at Pennsylvania State University have discovered a way to kill EABs in wood for pallets and other shipping components.
Efforts to limit EAB’s scope have affected businesses that sell Ash trees or wood products, property owners and governments. Economic impacts are high for urban and residential areas due to the treatment and removal costs and decreased land value associated with dying trees.
The loss of Ash from an ecosystem can result in increased numbers of invasive plants, changes in soil nutrients, and effects on species that feed on Ash.
Ash Wood Countertops continue to be available at Grothouse and will be for the foreseeable future. We are keeping close watch on the supply to ensure Ash remains available at Grothouse.
Stay tuned for more wood news by liking Grothouse on Facebook and following @grothouseinc on Instagram! To learn more about Ash wood countertops, visit the Grothouse Countertop Design Guide.
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Source: Woodworking Network
