City making headway in fight against Emerald Ash Borer

Mississauga.com
Oct. 29, 2015
By Rachael Williams

The City of Mississauga’s $51-million plan to remove municipally owned ash trees infected by the emerald ash borer is well underway.

Forestry crews for the city are continuing inspections of all ash trees along streets and in parks. To date, workers have treated more than 5,200 and chopped down an additional 6,800.

With woodlots still awaiting inspection, city staff is confident in the revitalization and replenishment of Mississauga’s urban forest.

“Our goal is to preserve as many city-owned ash trees as possible…all street and park trees removed due to emerald ash borer (EAB) will be replanted on a one-to-one basis,” said Laura Piette, director of parks and forestry.

Dubbed the city’s “EAB Active Management Plan,” it’s hinged on three components: treatment, removal and replanting. Treatment includes spraying trees every two years with an insecticide called TreeAzim.  Removal is focused on high-risk areas, including roadways, trails, paths, schools, residential homes and buildings.

The city owns more than 116,000 ash trees. Of the 6,800 chopped down, 2,366 have been replanted.

“Public safety is the first priority for staff in determining when to remove trees,” said Piette.

“In some cases it might not be possible to replant in the exact same location due to changes in overhead or underground utility locations. In these cases, trees will be replanted in the surrounding community and we will let residents know.”

The city’s plan doesn’t account for private ash trees, which account for roughly the same amount as city-owned trees. Treatment or removal is the responsibility of the homeowner.

First detected in Mississauga in 2008, the city’s EAB plan came into effect in 2013 and is expected to wrap up in 2023.