Who would have thought Centre Wellington may be involved in a multi-million dollar battle … against bugs?
On Jan. 18, Centre Wellington councillors made a first move at a committee of the whole meeting, endorsing a proposed emerald ash borer (EAB) management plan that will cost $100,000 this year.
That commitment comes after a consultant’s report recommending the township spend a minimum of $1.4 million over 10 years to fight the bugs.
In his presentation to council on Monday, Philip van Wassenaer of Urban Forest Innovations Inc. spoke about his firm’s recommendations for a proposed emerald ash borer management plan.
The pest is an invasive wood-boring beetle that first came to Canada from China in 2002, he said.
“In the last 14 years, they have killed literally millions of trees in the northeastern United States, Ontario and Quebec,” said van Wassenaer.
He explained trees are destroyed as the beetles eat through a thin layer of tissue under the bark, which leads to the death of infested trees within one to three years.
In turn, dead trees become brittle and those on public property are potential liabilities for the municipality.
Van Wassenaer said there is now a recognition that virtually all of southern Ontario is infested.
“By all indications this pest is here to stay … and we know 98 per cent or more of untreated ash trees are likely to die within 10 to 15 years.”
He said Centre Wellington is now facing the problem, though he is unaware of either federal or provincial programs contributing directly to EAB management.
“That leaves it up to the municipality to wrestle with this problem,” van Wassenaer said.
He noted that in 2015 Urban Forest Innovations was hired by Centre Wellington to look into the issue. Work began with an inventory of ash trees on public streets and parks.
Currently ash trees number 2,681, though van Wassenaer indicated there may be thousands more in natural wooded areas and other township properties. He also stressed this does not include ash trees on residential, other private properties, rural areas or trails.
Of the trees inventoried, van Wassenaer said not too many are in poor condition; most are in either fair or good condition.
“Centre Wellington is in an early-to-mid stage of infestation,” van Wassenaer said.
He suggested the community will start seeing the effects in the next four to eight years, with an exponential number of tree deaths in the years to follow – if unmanaged.
“If we leave the pest unmanaged, this is how the pest will manage the ash tree population,” he said.
He offered a number of managing strategies, which include:
– detection and monitoring;
– control through tree injections or removal;
– restoration and rehabilitation through tree planting and natural area management; and
– communication and outreach.
Van Wassenaer spoke of four possible management scenarios ranging from minimal to aggressive.
He said the “minimal municipal obligation” would simply be to remove and not replace high-risk ash trees or those in poor condition.
That approach “would cost $1.4 million over the next decade, just to deal with the urban trees we have found so far,” he added.
The cost would more than double if the township wants to replace the trees, van Wassenaer said, noting, “The do-nothing approach is unfortunately not an option.”
The trees have to be managed to some extent due to the potential municipal liability.
The most aggressive approach, van Wassenaer said, is to treat more trees currently in good condition. Untreated trees would be removed proactively and replaced at a ratio of 2:1 to increase the canopy cover over time.
Van Wassenaer estimated this would cost $3.5 million over a 10-year period.
Councillor Kirk McElwain wondered how long the trees would need to be treated.
“Is it forever or is there a period when it would no longer be needed?” he asked.
Van Wassenaer replied the frequency of injections is predicated by the degree of infestation. “At a certain point … it may be possible to reduce that frequency … and we hope there may be a time where it is no longer necessary,” he said.
McElwain also noted van Wassenaer’s written presentation mentioned the idea of mulching as waste wood management.
He said, “Mulching in Centre Wellington is not really recommended as we have a lot of termites.”
Councillor Stephen Kitras asked if there was potential of the beetles infesting other tree species.
Van Wassenaer said “EAB co-evolved with the ash tree in Asia … but there is a lot still not known.”
He explained that in Asia the beetle is a minor threat and the insect has many natural predators. Van Wassenaer said the beetle may be attracted to other trees, “… but we have not seen that so far.”
Mayor Kelly Linton asked if there was any way to make money off the infested wood.
Van Wassenaer said there has been investigation, but it is a challenge to find local people or companies that want to deal with the infested wood.
Councillor Mary Lloyd said no matter which approach is taken “this is a significant cost … if we are facing this as a township, our residents may be facing these costs as well.”
She said it is important to find a way to work together – “in a fiscally prudent way.”
Kitras added, “I have to double down on what councillor Lloyd had to say.” He thanked van Wassenaer for the report because it explained the cost for this type of program.
Kitras said he believes the approach of having a community group working on the issue “makes way more fiscal sense.”
With a minimum $1.4 million cost, “I think this could be done for one tenth the cost on a community level.”
Kitras said Centre Wellington should reconsider the dynamics of how it is spending its money.
Van Wassenaer said the costs were based on discussions with Centre Wellington staff regarding the costs of tree removal and replacement.
Kitras again stated his belief there may be more creative and cost effective ways to deal with this, “using the community’s resources and energy.”
The recommendation to council was that it receive the information presented by Urban Forest Innovations Inc. regarding the Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan for Centre Wellington.
Also, staff was directed to implement strategies within the Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan based on the resources dedicated to the plan within the annually-approved capital budget.
A report to council by Brian Detzler, managing director of community services, states that in 2016,the township will begin the implementation of an emerald ash borer program along urban streets and public parks within its identified capital funding of $100,000 by taking the following actions;
– $60,000 to remove dead, high-risk and poor condition ash trees on urban streets and in public parks that pose a risk to people and/or property; and
– $40,000 to develop a “plantable spaces inventory” and planting strategy for tree planting along urban streets and in public parks.
As well, in 2016 the development of an urban forest policy will be undertaken, which will incorporate the findings and strategies of the emerald ash borer plan.
Mayor Linton stated there is money set aside for dealing with the EAB in the 2016 budget – and there was a good discussion at that time.
He said there are still opportunities for local community groups such as NeighbourWoods to get involved to some degree.
Linton added Urban Forest Innovations Inc. was hired by the municipality to provide expert advice. He also said he believes the recommendation before council provides the flexibility to deal with the problem in a way that makes sense.
McElwain noted there was a relatively small amount set aside in this year’s budget.
“I think this gives us another 12 months to look at alternatives. However sitting back for a year doing nothing could end up costing a lot more,” said McElwain.
He added stopping right now, only to restart the process, “would be the wrong thing to do.”
Detzler pointed out the current recommendation is only a starting point. He added not all the work may need to be done by paid staff.
“Neighbourwoods has been sitting in with us working on the present plan,” said Detzler.
He added the recommendation before council was to receive the plan, not approve it.
Councillor Don Fisher said he understood there is a modest amount in the 2016 budget for removal of diseased trees.
He said receiving a plan does not mean it will be immediately adapted for implementation. That plan includes four potential strategies – none of which have been decided upon by council yet.
Fisher said based on the money set aside for 2016, the approach might be considered “sub-minimal.”
He said this would adopt a rough strategy which would need to be refined in the future.
“This is a preliminary step,” said Fisher.
Kitras again contended the matter should be revisited to find an approach that is more fiscally sound for the community.
Lloyd said the recommendation was for strategies to be implemented based on allocated resources.
“In no way are we currently accepting the $1.4- or $2.5-million plans. This is putting our big toe into the water to see how we can do this,” said Lloyd.
Detzler said the initial plan is to deal with potentially-dangerous situations.
“We need to be able to deal with this in a planned and responsible manner – nothing here today is committing the township to a long-term financial commitment,” Detzler added.
Councillor eventually passed the staff recommendation 4-1, with only Kitras opposed.
