By Nathan Daggett / Assistant News Director

Stearns County needs your help in locating signs of Emerald Ash Borer damage as you walk along parks and trails.

Emerald ash borer are invasive forest insects that are responsible for the deaths of millions of ash trees. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture placed Stearns County under an emergency quarantine after an emerald ask borer was found in Sauk Centre in 2019.

Stearns County Parks says you should watch for:

• The number of epicormics shoots
• Bark splits
• Woodpecker feeding damage
• Upper canopy damage
• Lower canopy damge
• Trunk damage

To find out where to submit a report or learn more information view here