Emerald Ash Borer impacting the City tree canopy: Planned planting of 500 replacement trees coming this spring
OSHAWA – Throughout the coming months, community members may see forestry crews at work in their neighbourhoods as the tree canopy throughout Oshawa continues to be impacted by the invasive insect Emerald Ash Borer (E.A.B.).
First confirmed in Oshawa in 2011, forestry staff have taken proactive measures over the last 10 years by treating parks and boulevard ash trees with TreeAzin, but unfortunately, the treatment does not guarantee tree survival. Although, the City has seen success in many areas such as Lakeview Park, many of the ash trees on streets, in green spaces and on the trail system have been impacted by the insect, resulting in the tree no longer being viable and potentially creating a risk to the public and/or the surrounding property.
Trained forestry staff, through ongoing maintenance and resident inquiries inspect the health of the all types of city trees. If a tree inspection discovers that more than 30% of their live canopy has been lost due to E.A.B., it will be removed. The same monitoring also applies to the150 other city tree varieties to ensure ongoing health of our tree canopy.
Continued efforts to replace the removed trees is underway. Once an infested ash tree in a park or on a City boulevard is removed, the stump will be replaced by a new species of tree in the next calendar year. Since 2011, more than 1,200 ash trees have been replaced with tree species based on the previous tree function, the intended location and soil conditions. Additionally another 500 trees are anticipated to be planted this spring. Community members with ash trees on their property are responsible for managing their trees and if concerned should consider hiring a certified arborist to discuss options.
For more information, visit www.oshawa.ca/EABor call the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.
For updates on the City of Oshawa, visit www.oshawa.ca and sign up for news, alerts and e-newsletters. Stay connected with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Connect Oshawa.