The destructive Emerald Ash Borer beetle has been increasing its range in the U.S. for decades. After being found near Forest Grove in 2022, it’s been confirmed in five Oregon counties , as of mid-September.

The beetle is coming for Oregon Ash trees, but scientists and residents can help soften the blow.

Just outside Cottage Grove at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dorena Research Center, scientists are playing a numbers game: They’re growing thousands of Oregon Ash, sourced from up and down the West Coast, hoping to find the rare tree with genetic resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer.

Karen Richards / KLCC

About one in 1,000 trees, or five of the 5,300 seedlings here, may be able to survive the beetle infestation, according to Dorena Center geneticist Richard Snieszko. “

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