Rosemère to cut down dead ash trees in Charbonneau Park
The Town of Rosemère wishes to inform the public that ash trees will be cut down in Charbonneau Park starting April 4. More specifically, the purpose of this work is to cut down ash trees that are dead or that present a safety hazard to residents.
The work will be carried out over a two-week period and will be concentrated mainly in the waterfront area of the park. “Over the next few months, the Town will also begin work to redevelop the shoreline of Charbonneau Park. These operations will involve planting a variety of trees, shrubs and plants that are suitable to the environment and necessary for the protection and restoration of this ecosystem of great ecological value,” explained Mayor Eric Westram. “By cutting down the ash trees, we will be able to make the site safer and plant the greenery needed to protect this biodiversity-rich environment.”
As it may be recalled, emerald ash borers were detected on Rosemère territory in 2014 and they continue to proliferate. In 2017, the Town therefore implemented an integrated action plan against emerald ash borers, which includes the planting of replacement trees on public property. It also encourages residents to pay special attention to trees on their private property, by identifying EAB-related symptoms and acting accordingly.
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The emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is one of hundreds of beetles belonging to the Buprestidae family. Although some of these “jewel” beetles are native to Quebec, the EAB is an invasive pest from Asia. Its presence was first confirmed in Rosemère in 2014. By the following year, specimens were found in most of the EAB traps set by the Town. Their population has spread quickly throughout the area and is killing a growing number of ash trees with each successive year. The EAB poses a serious threat to Rosemère’s urban forest, which contains over 10,000 ash trees, approximately 1,800 of which are located along our streets and in our parks, with the remaining 6,000 to 8,000 found on private property. This does not include the ash tree population in the wooded areas in our community. Natural Resources Canada figures put the mortality rate of EAB-infested trees at 98% within five years of initial detection in the surrounding area. It is therefore very important to do everything we can to protect the remaining tree canopy.
Support for managing ash trees on private property
To support their efforts to manage their ash trees and take action to preserve our urban forest, the city of Rosemère has adopted a Policy on the Replacement and Treatment of Private Ash Trees. The policy takes a three-pronged approach: Treat – Plant – Cut Down. The aim of this approach is to slow and control the spread of EAB.
Treat
Rosemerites can curb the spread of EAB using a low-impact insecticide known as TreeAzin®. The current treatment recommendation is to apply TreeAzin two years in a row, take a break the third year, and resume on year four. Financial assistance from the Town is available to property owners to treat their trees. However, since the infestation in Rosemère is at an advanced stage, very few untreated trees qualify under this program. It applies mostly to trees that have been treated over the past few years and are still healthy.
Plant
Residents are encouraged to replant new types of trees to diversify the urban forest. Potted trees are distributed twice a year, and a grant toward the purchase of new trees is available to help residents meet their replanting obligations.
Cutting trees
If residents have any diseased ash trees on their property, they are responsible for having them felled. A permit is required and can be obtained from the city free of charge. The city advises the residents not to wait until they become a hazard to remove them. Town by-laws stipulate that ash trees in declining health must be cut down in a timely manner for safety reasons. Rosemère has also scheduled extra branch pickup dates between April and November to make it easier for you to dispose of felled trees.
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