Mobilizing to Fight an Invasive Insect
The invasive emerald ash borer could decimate Maine’s ash trees—and jeopardize the livelihoods of Maine’s Indian basket makers, who rely on the tree for their time-honored craft. Darren Ranco, UMaine associate professor of anthropology and Chair of Native American Programs, is leading an SSI team that brings together diverse groups to try to prevent, detect and respond to this threat.
Why This Project?
Emerald ash borers have destroyed millions of ash trees in 14 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The insect is expected to arrive in Maine, where it will have economic impacts not only on basket makers, but on other communities and the forest products industry as well. The borer kills all species of ash, including those widely planted by municipalities as street trees, potentially costing communities millions of dollars to remove and replace.1 In addition, the insect has the potential to affect the transportation of harvested ash from forest to producer.
Putting Knowledge into Action
Ranco’s team, which includes members of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, is collaborating with tribes, state and federal foresters, landowners and others to develop one of the nation’s first proactive, coordinated responses on a statewide level.
The SSI team joined others in presenting expert testimony to the Maine State Legislature, which led to a ban on imported firewood to help prevent the borer from spreading. The team is continuing to develop solutions by mapping Maine’s ash tree populations, learning how to identify a borer attack, educating the public and establishing a seed bank should the beetle strike. Their findings will lead to new strategies for protecting Maine’s three species of ash trees, inform public policy and establish effective methods to bring together diverse groups to address threats from invasive species.
1. Kovacs, K., R. Haight, D. McCullough, R. Mercader, N. Siegert, and A. Liebhold. 2010. Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S. communities, 2009-2019. Ecological Economics 69:569-578.
Profile on team leader Darren Ranco
Sustaining Maine’s Brown Ash Resource
More EAB Team News
No Small Threat (UMaine Today)
Mobilizing Diverse Interests to Address Invasive Species Threats to Coupled Natural/Human Systems: The Case of the Emerald Ash Borer in Maine
