By Tyler Marr

City appoints municipal Dutch Elm Disease inspector

Feb 17, 2018 | 7:18 AM

Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is on Prince Albert’s doorstep and the city is making moves to protect its urban forest.

DED continues to be a pesky and costly problem for sections of the province, specifically the northeast. The disease clogs water-conducting tissue in branches and prevents water from getting to the leaves, ultimately killing the tree.

The fungus has plagued tress around Nipawin and Tisdale and is encroaching on the Melfort area. This is of heightened concern for the city, and there is a fear the elm bark beetle, which transports the fungus, could make its way into town.

To help mitigate the chance of the disease spreading within municipal boundaries, the city recently appointed Forestry Foreman Ernie Marcotte as the city’s Dutch Elm Disease Municipal Inspector. He will help enforce provincial DED regulations within Prince Albert.

The move comes after various talks with the provinces forestry branch, according to community services director Jody Boulet.

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“This is something we have to take very seriously. This is something that can be a huge impact to our forestry canopy,” he said. “By taking some of these necessary steps and training our staff, we can identify [DED] in the early stages and make sure that the impact is minimal to the city.”

The inspector, among other duties, will help administer the annual pruning ban period on elms that runs from April 1 to Aug. 31, and provide direction on the correct disposal of elm if the disease is spotted. Public education and pruning certificate enforcement will also fall under the inspector’s scope.

Boulet said the city will assist in this work, embarking on communication efforts to help create awareness of the disease and how the community can play a roll in its prevention.

The city also plans to work with both neighbouring Rural Municipalities — Buckland and Prince Albert — to ensure awareness and prevention efforts are implemented to combine efforts to combat the disease.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr