The destructive emerald ash borer: It's here; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

The destructive emerald ash borer: It's here: "It's bad news, but the confirmed arrival of the tree-killing pest may not be as devastating to Minnesota as it has been to other states, official says.
By BILL McAULIFFE
Last update: May 15, 2009 - 1:22
Feared and expected, the emerald ash borer has been found in Minnesota, posing a critical threat to the state's 900 million ash trees, including roughly one-third of all trees in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
The infestation was discovered in a tree on Long Avenue in St. Paul's Hampden Park neighborhood. State officials got a preliminary confirmation from a federal entomologist who viewed a digital picture Thursday. They are expecting final confirmation today from a sample sent to Washington.
'It's pretty clear this is the emerald ash borer, and it's the first discovered in the state,' said Minnesota Department of Agriculture spokesman Mike Schommer. 'It's obviously bad news.'"