October 15, 2010
Emerald ash borer confirmed in Perth County and Ottawa
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed two more emerald ash borer (EAB) findings in Ontario.
The areas are Perth County, in the Whalen Line and Granton Line area, and in the City of Ottawa, outside the current Ottawa - Gatineau regulated area. In Ottawa, an adult EAB was retrieved from an insect trap south of Fallowfield Road, near Richmond Road.
Restrictions on the movement of ash are placed on the affected property. Further regulatory measures will be considered once survey work is completed.
The emerald ash borer spreads rapidly if moved by people. The key challenge in limiting the spread is to prevent people from moving potentially infested ash materials, such as logs, branches, nursery stock, wood chips, and firewood of all species to non-infested areas.
First detected in Michigan in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in southwestern Ontario, Michigan and surrounding states. It poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas in both countries.
It is estimated there are 23,000 city-owned ash trees on Hamilton streets, parks and cemeteries. It is also estimated there could be well roughly over 300,000 ash trees on city, private and conservation area lands at risk from the beetle.
The Spectator article stated that city forestry manager Mike McNamara and plant health consultant Ken Marchant recommended Hamilton spend $36.3 million over 10 years on a pre-emptive management plan to detect infested ash trees, cut them down and dispose of them, stump and all, as well as replace them with other tree species. EAB has been found in the central Mountain area of Hamilton.
The article also reported that the rule of thumb is that there are about the same number of ash trees on private land as there are on city lands.
Estimates were given that the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington has about 50,000 ash trees, including 100-year-old specimens along the Westdale Ravine Trail that are 100-feet tall.
The Hamilton Conservation Authority, the city’s largest landowner, may have about 200,000 ash trees.
The areas are Perth County, in the Whalen Line and Granton Line area, and in the City of Ottawa, outside the current Ottawa - Gatineau regulated area. In Ottawa, an adult EAB was retrieved from an insect trap south of Fallowfield Road, near Richmond Road.
Restrictions on the movement of ash are placed on the affected property. Further regulatory measures will be considered once survey work is completed.
The emerald ash borer spreads rapidly if moved by people. The key challenge in limiting the spread is to prevent people from moving potentially infested ash materials, such as logs, branches, nursery stock, wood chips, and firewood of all species to non-infested areas.
First detected in Michigan in 2002, the emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in southwestern Ontario, Michigan and surrounding states. It poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas in both countries.
Fighting EAB in Hamilton could cost $36-million
In a late September a Hamilton Spectator article revealed that experts recommend Hamilton spend $36 million over the next 10 years to deal with the emerald ash borer.It is estimated there are 23,000 city-owned ash trees on Hamilton streets, parks and cemeteries. It is also estimated there could be well roughly over 300,000 ash trees on city, private and conservation area lands at risk from the beetle.
The Spectator article stated that city forestry manager Mike McNamara and plant health consultant Ken Marchant recommended Hamilton spend $36.3 million over 10 years on a pre-emptive management plan to detect infested ash trees, cut them down and dispose of them, stump and all, as well as replace them with other tree species. EAB has been found in the central Mountain area of Hamilton.
The article also reported that the rule of thumb is that there are about the same number of ash trees on private land as there are on city lands.
Estimates were given that the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington has about 50,000 ash trees, including 100-year-old specimens along the Westdale Ravine Trail that are 100-feet tall.
The Hamilton Conservation Authority, the city’s largest landowner, may have about 200,000 ash trees.