Connecticut officials say a beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S. has been found in the state for the first time.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Friday that the emerald ash borer was found in Prospect on Monday by experiment station staff members. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the identification.
State officials also suspect an infestation in Naugatuck State Forest, but that hasn't been confirmed.
The beetle has killed or damaged ash trees in 15 other states from the Midwest to New York and south to Tennessee.
Connecticut officials say there are more than 22 million ash trees in the state and the borer potentially could cause great environmental harm.
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