Recognizing that tree removal is very hard on property owners and urban and rural forests when aggressive eradication has to take place to controls pest, the provincial government will contribute $1 million to efforts in recovering from exotic tree-killing beetles. Funding a tree planting program in Vaughan, north Toronto and southwestern Ontario will help protect the integrity of Ontario’s greenspace, says Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay.
“Providing funds to plant news trees will go a long way toward ‘re-greening’ hard hit areas and ensuring the longer-term health of our forests,” says Ramsay, who made the announcement at the Humber Arboretum, which is just outside the affected area in north Toronto.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, through the Forestry Futures Trust, will contribute up to $1 million to plant new trees in areas affected by the emerald ash borer (EAB) and Asian long-horned beetle (ALHB). One of the functions of the Forestry Futures Trust is to fund pest management programs. The Region of York will also contribute to the planting efforts.
Crews are cutting down maples and other hardwood trees in parts of Vaughan, Toronto and York Region to stop the ALHB spread. Crews are removing ash trees in Essex County and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to stop the spread of EAB. The tree-planting program will use native trees, when feasible.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has been working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and others on control programs for both insects.
