PORTLAND, Oregon – The Oregon Department of Forestry spent three years collecting more than 900,000 seeds from populations of Oregon ash trees throughout the state.  The ODF employees completed their collection work months after the emerald ash borer was first discovered in the state… on June 30, 2022. This was the first time the insect had been seen on the West Coast. The emerald ash borer is considered the most destructive forest pest in North America and has been detected in 34 other states. These invasive and destructive beetles have killed up to 99% of the ash trees in some North American locations. …Knowing it could only be a matter of time before the insect arrived in Oregon, ODF staff started collecting ash tree seeds before the insect had a chance to wipe the trees out.