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Oregon Department of Forestry Hires Two New Specialists to Fight Beetles

Oregon Department of Forestry Hires Two New Specialists to Fight Beetles

The notorious invasive emerald ash borer poses a significant threat to trees across the state. (Oregon Department of Forestry)

PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — The battle against invasive beetles has produced two new champions.

The Oregon Department of Forestry has hired two support specialists to help communities combat the infamous emerald ash borer. These insects are spreading across the state and are posing a major threat to native ash trees.


We hope that Matt Mills and Kat Bethea can help reduce the threat posed by the green beetles.

“We are pleased to have found two people so well qualified and highly motivated to do this important work,” said Scott Altenhoff, ODF Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager.

The emerald ash borer is native to Asia and was first spotted in Michigan in 2002. Since then, the tree-dwelling pests have spread across the West, arriving locally in Forest Grove in 2022. Their primary target is right there in the name: ash trees. The females lay eggs on the trunks and the larvae eat tunnels under the bark through the cambium layer. This makes it impossible for the trees to move water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves, eventually killing them.

Read more at PortlandTribune.com.

The Portland Tribune and its parent company Pamplin Media Group are KOIN 6 News media partners