HomeMy WebLinkAboutOPD-001-19Clarington Operations Department
Report
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Report To: General Government DG3ODLJDGHHORS PHWRPPLWWHH
Date of Meeting: -DDU
Report Number: OPD -001-19 Resolution: JC -028-19
File Number: By-law Number:
Report Subject: Update on the Replacement of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Infected
Trees
Recommendation:
That Report OPD -001-19 be received for information.
Municipality of Clarington
Report OPD -001-19
Report Overview
Page 2
This report provides an update on the current status of the removal/replacement of Ash Trees
that are infected with the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle (EAB).
1. Background
1.1 The tree inventory count that was completed in 2013 for the urban areas of Clarington
indicated that there were a total of 2,344 Ash trees located on municipal road right of
ways.
1.2 This inventory was split between three main urban centers as noted below:
Courtice 981 trees
Bowmanville 1,126 trees
Newcastle/Orono 237 trees
1.3 Work has been on-going by staff of the Operations Department since 2013 to remove all
of the Ash trees located on municipal roads. The remaining Ash tree count is provided as
follows:
Courtice 0 trees
Bowmanville 259 trees (as of Nov20/2018)
Newcastle/Orono 237 trees
1.4 In late, 2017 Clarington forestry staff began to remove the 515 Ash trees that were
situated south of Highway #2 in Bowmanville. At present, only one remains which will be
removed once Bell has removed their temporary service wire.
1.5 Of the 611 Ash trees in Bowmanville that are located north of Highway #2 a total of 259
currently remain to be removed. These were scheduled to be removed prior to the end of
2018, but have been delayed due to several extreme weather events. Most notably the
recent wind event on September 21, 2018, which generated 120 work orders for storm
damaged emergency tree service calls. The current projected time -line for the remaining
EAB removals in Bowmanville is late spring or early summer 2019.
1.6 At the current rate of removal the 237 Ash trees that have been inventoried in Newcastle
and Orono can be expected to be taken down no later than the early part of 2020.
1.7 At this time, the Operations Department does not have an inventory of Ash trees that are
located within greenspaces, natural heritage areas or on any of the rural road allowances
in the Municipality. As concerns arise the inspection and removal of these Ash trees will
require additional staff time or require contracted services. Typically these issues,
however, are only dealt with when they present an immediate hazard to persons or
property. A closer review of these areas will need to be performed following the
completion of the urban street tree removal program.
Municipality of Clarington
Resort OPD -001-19
2. Replacement and Stumping
Page 3
2.1 The replacement of ash trees began in 2014. At this time all of the 981 ash trees that
have been removed in Courtice have been replanted with a variety of native type species.
Based on the current budget levels that are approved for this initiative all of the ash trees
that will be removed from Bowmanville, Newcastle and Orono are anticipated to be
replanted by the end of 2022.
3. Emerald Ash Borer Cost to Date
3.1 The current cost of the Emerald Ash Borer removal and replacement program to date is:
Wages $1,037,135
Equipment 390,472
Contract services 1,367,011
Total $2,794,619
Due to the fact that Municipal resources have been primarily focussed on the removal of
ash trees, Operations staff are not able to respond to less critical forestry tree requests
such as non-essential pruning. As noted earlier, only those forestry requests that are
considered an emergency will be attended to on a priority basis.
3.2 If we were to increase the funding for replacement of the remaining 1363 affected ash
trees in Bowmanville, Newcastle and Orono over the next two years we could expedite
the time of replacement to the fall 2020.
Based on an average cost of $365 per tree for stumping and replacement this would
mean a one-time budget increase of $267,860 to complete the replacement program by
2020.
3.3 Once the tree removals are completed in the urban area, staff will concentrate their
efforts on the removal of the affected ash trees in our parks, green spaces and rural road
allowances. These trees are quickly becoming a concern as they continue to decline
which will result in an increasing number of emergency and storm damage removals and
calls. The probability of personal injury and property damage will increase the longer we
delay the removal of these trees.
4. Conclusion
The Operations Department will continue to focus on the ongoing removal of ash trees
affected by EAB in order to meet our currently expected completion target date in the fall
of 2022.
Municipality of Clarington Page 4
Report OPD -001-19
Submitted by: Reviewed by'
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Frederick J. Horvath
Director of Operations
Andrew C. Allison, B. Comm, LL.B
CAO
Staff Contact: Fred Horvath, Director of Operations, 905-263-2291 or fhorvath(a_clarington.net