The state Department of Environmental Conservation has expanded the quarantine for emerald ash borers to 18 counties to slow the spread of the tree-killing beetle.
The quarantine restricts the movement of ash trees and ash products, as well as firewood from all tree species.
Emerald ash borers have killed tens of millions of ash trees since they first appeared in the U.S. in 2002 in the Midwest.
The pest was first found in New York state in 2009 in the southwest corner of the state and has now been confirmed in seven counties: Cattaraugus, Genesee, Greene, Livingston, Monroe, Steuben, and Ulster.
The quarantine includes those counties and adjacent Allegany, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.
