Collingwood holding public meeting on Emerald Ash Borer

simcoe.com
Aug. 28, 2015
By John Edwards

The Town of Collingwood wants to help you save your ash.

The municipality is holding a public meeting on Tues., Sept. 15 at the Collingwood Public Library from 6-8 p.m., to discuss the Emerald Ash Borer.

The Emerald Ash Borer is a wood-boring beetle, native to eastern Asia. In Canada it is an invasive species without a natural predator.

It attacks and kills all species of ash trees regardless of size or health.

It has killed tens of millions of ash trees in southwestern Ontario, Quebec, Michigan and surrounding states.

According to a presentation to council on Aug. 24 by Wendy Martin, manager of parks, the EAB will affect about 900 public trees.

The town has launched a plan to deal with the EAB. Over the last year, the town has started to remove ash trees.

In 2015, the town is planning to treat “high cultural value ash,” and ash trees in good condition will be immunized for the remainder of their lifespan.

From 2016-2018, ash trees under 14 cm in diameter will be removed and replaced.

From 2019-2024, all remaining trees will be removed as they become infested and hazardous.

The plan is expected to cost about $1.089 million.

For more information visit www.collingwood.ca/EAB