Boulder County Ash Borer Quarantine Carries $1,000 Fine

<p>(Photo: USDA by <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC 2.0</a>)</p>
<p>The emerald ash borer kills ash trees in America’s forests and backyards. </p>

Officials are warning Boulder County homeowners cleaning up their storm-damaged yards that they could faces fines for taking ash tree wood outside the county because of an invasive beetle quarantine.

The Daily Camera reports the quarantine was put in place after the emerald ash borer, an ash-tree killing insect, was found within Boulder's city limits in September 2013. Under the quarantine, violators caught taking ash tree wood outside the county will face a $1,000 fine.

The quarantine area includes Boulder County and the town of Eerie, including the parts of Erie in Weld County.

Laura Pottorff with the Colorado Department of Agriculture recommends people consult a state list of landscaping companies that have agreed to comply with the quarantine when arranging for the cleanup of storm-damaged ash trees.