A partnership between South Nation Conservation (SNC) and the City of Ottawa is helping to curb the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer across Canada’s capital through an Ash Tree Replacement Program.
City of Ottawa property owners could be eligible to receive up to $500/tree in cost-share funding towards the removal and replacement of an infected ash tree on their property this year, up to a maximum of $5,000. The City of Ottawa funding is limited to a first-come, first-serve basis.
First launched in 2018, the Ash Tree Replacement Program has since approved over $575,227 in cost-share grants to City of Ottawa property owners to help remove and replace 1,846 infected ash trees with locally sourced native species.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the City to provide advice and support to property owners to help them replace dead Ash trees infected by the Emerald Ash Borer in Ottawa,” said Ronda Boutz, SNC’s Special Projects Lead.
The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle native to Asia that feeds on ash trees. According to Natural Resources Canada, it was first detected in North America in 2002, and has since killed millions of ash trees in Canada as it continues to spread.
“Forests and trees offer many social, economic and environmental benefits to communities,” added Boutz. “We’re doing our part to support communities replace infected trees and lost tree canopy.”
Boutz also warns of the dangers that dead ash trees can pose when still standing in residential or public spaces. “They could fall down onto structures and homes, which can be hazardous to people and property,” she added.
To qualify for funding, a licensed forestry professional or certified arborist must confirm the tree’s infection and perform any work related to its removal. Residents may choose their replacement trees so long as they are native species of either potted stock or caliper-sized, and they must be planted on the applicant’s private property.
For more information on the Ash Tree Replacement Program and to access the application form, please visit www.nation.on.ca/eab, or call 1-877-984-2948.
SNC is working in partnership with the City of Ottawa on behalf of the Ottawa Conservation Partners: the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley, and South Nation Conservation Authorities.
