State scientists are planting thousands of Oregon Ash trees in invasive beetle territory, hoping to find rare natural resistance

State scientists are planting thousands of Oregon Ash trees in invasive beetle territory, hoping to find rare natural resistance

The beetle is coming for Oregon Ash trees, but scientists and residents can help soften the blow.Just outside Cottage Grove at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dorena Research Center, scientists are playing a numbers game: They’re growing thousands of Oregon Ash, sourced from up and down the West Coast, hoping to find the rare tree with genetic resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer.About one in 1,000 trees, or five of the 5,300 seedlings here,…