The U.S. Department of Agriculture, fearing that the emerald ash borer will be unstoppable, has started a volunteer National Ash Tree Seed Collection Initiative, for people to collect ash-tree seeds that can be stored at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colo. From the Web site: “The U.S. Forest Service has agreed to x-ray the collected ash seed to determine sound seed for storage. If the ash tree populations are completely decimated by the ash borer, the stored seeds can be used as the genetic base for work to re-establish ash trees for future generations.”

The program doesn’t seem to have started in Northern New England yet, but it’s in New York state. Details are here.

Part of me thinks this is brilliant foresight, and part of me is depressed as hell that it’s even necessary.