CHENANGO COUNTY – An invasive species is killing off ash trees throughout the region, and experts say it may only a matter of time before ash trees become extinct.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said last week that the Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed for the first time in Oneida County, bumping the total number of New York counties with EAB up to 35.

EAB is an invasive, wood boring beetle that feeds on species of Ash. The EAB – native to Asia – was first found in North America in 2002 near Detroit and since has spread to 13 states and two Canadian provinces, killing hundreds of millions of Ash trees in rural and urban settings.

EAB has already been spotted in parts of Chenango and Delaware counties, and the likelihood that it will spread to surrounding regions has given the New York State DEC reason to revise their quarantine regulations. The NYS DEC recently created 14 restricted zones more tightly encompassing the current known EAB infestations.