Hello Cindy,
We have an Ash tree in our backyard, and I just noticed there were 2 inch slits all around it. There was a long narrow brown bug in one of the slits. Do you know what this is? Will it damage our tree? What can we do to prevent it's demise?

Thank you,
Roni

Ash trees are susceptible to a number of different borers that can cause serious problems. If you can find another one of those bugs and maybe even take a picture of the verticle slits in the bark and take that to the Extension office, they should be able to properly identify the pest.
The most recent serious problem is with emerald Ash Borer-it is a bright green beetle in its adult stage. But I am not aware that any EAB evidence has been found in Jefferson County.