Burlington's $1.4M EAB action plan to see more than 3K trees removed
Only 715 to be replanted this year due nursery stock supply shortage: staff report
Insidehalton.com
March 28, 2017
By John Bkila
More than 3,000 trees are targeted for removal this year in the city's 2017 action plan to battle the devastating emerald ash borer.
Burlington council approved a readjusted $1.4-million 2017 action plan in its management of the emerald ash borer (EAB) Monday (March 27) night.
It also approved a one-time funding of $300,000 from the tax rate stabilization reserve fund to assist in delivery of the program this year.
The director of roads and parks maintenance will provide council with further review of the city’s EAB management strategy and a 2018 action plan in the fourth quarter of this year.
City staff has been dealing with the EAB since 2009, as the invasive pest continues to create devastating forestry losses in excess of hundreds of millions of trees to date throughout Ontario, Quebec and the U.S., according to a staff report.
A shift in the direction of Burlington’s EAB management for 2017 was caused by new information and lessons learned from other municipalities, city staff said.
The major changes to the 2017 program include:
- Tighter criteria to determine which trees should be treated with pesticide TreeAzin;
- Treatment of trees greater than 50 centimetres diameter at breast height (dbh) and streets that are primarily ash where trees greater than 40cm dbh will be treated;
- Annual treatment of trees, versus bi-annual treatment;
- Run a proactive rather than a reactive program;
- Prioritization of street and park trees; with a focus on public safety;
- Systematic, planned removals;
- Comprehensive communications program.
Approximately 3,296 trees are being recommended for removal in 2017, as ash tree mortality in Burlington is rapidly accelerating, due to high levels of EAB infestation and combined with the impact of the severe 2016 drought, according to city staff.
Street and park trees will be the focus of the removals as they deal with public safety.
Councillors heard from city staff that 715 trees are planned for planting this year as nursery stock supply for the next couple of years will be challenging given the unprecedented demand for trees across Ontario, Quebec and the U.S.
