BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University Extension will host public meetings about the emerald ash borer in Watertown and Milbank following the insect’s discovery in those communities.
The Watertown meeting is at 6:30 p.m. CDT on June 26, 2025, at the Codington County Extension Complex. Please enter the building through entrance I at the south end.
In Milbank, the meeting is at 6:30 p.m. CDT on June 30, 2025, at the Milbank Visitor Center. Both meetings are free. Registration is requested at extension.sdstate.edu/events (search “emerald ash”).
Foresters from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and SDSU Extension will be at both meetings to discuss why this beetle is a threat to ash trees and how to identify infested trees. The presenters will cover management options to save high-value ash trees.
The state quarantines for Codington and Grant counties will also be addressed and the restriction on the movement of ash and all hardwood firewood out of the counties. The meetings will include time for audience questions, as well.
Emerald ash borer is a small, boring beetle has been responsible for the loss of millions of ash trees across the United States since its discovery in Michigan in 2002. The insect was first found in South Dakota in 2018. For more information, contact John Ball, professor, SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist, at 605-688-4737 or John.Ball@sdstate.edu.
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SDSU Extension
