Meeting to discuss ash borer impact on parks

NiagaraFallsReview.ca
Jan. 12, 2015
Ray Spiteri

It's an issue that's really bugging the Niagara Parks Commission.

A public information session is being held Tuesday to discuss the impact the emerald ash borer is having on Ash trees along parks commission lands.

The meeting, to run between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Legends on the Niagara Clubhouse on Willoughby Dr. in Niagara Falls, will outline the commission's plan for the golf property in particular.

The parks has developed an emerald ash borer forestry management plan to address the spread of this particular species, which has affected the high concentration of Ash trees found in and along the Legends property.

Parks and forestry staff have been monitoring and evaluating ash borers as they have made their way across Ontario and into Niagara, including within the lands protected by the commission.

The non-native insect literally sucks the life out of Ash trees. It burrows under the bark and removes the tree's ability to retain the nutrients it needs to sustain its health and growth.

Municipalities and agencies across Ontario have taken various measures to limit the impacts of the bug on tree-lined streets and within forested areas.

Working with other agencies and using modern forestry management techniques, the commission has provided funding to preserve the environmental and esthetic benefits of the tree population within its lands.

Through a combination of monitoring, removals and replacements, it has worked to address the consequences of the ash borer to the Ash tree population on its lands.

One strategy to be implemented this winter is a low-intensity thinning on a 40 hectare parcel of land in the northeast area of Legends.

In anticipation of the ash borer and its impact, staff planted more than 30,000 new trees and seedlings within the parks in 2014, including the restoration of more than nine hectares at Legends.

During 2015 and 2016, an additional 40,000 new trees and seedlings will be planted as part of NPC’s forestry restorative efforts.