The removal of Dutch Elm Disease (DED) infected trees in the City of Selkirk is underway.
As part of the Province of Manitoba’s DED Management Program, every year provincial inspectors survey trees in communities and tag those infected with the disease for removal to prevent further spread.
In Selkirk, 153 trees on public and private properties were tagged for removal this summer. There is no cure for Dutch Elm Disease, and the trees must be removed, as authorized under the Forest Health Protection Act.
Removal is anticipated to be completed by the end of December. Factors such as weather, location of the infected tree, and proximity to Manitoba Hydro infrastructure can impact removal timelines.
Protecting our canopy from further harm
The city awarded ASAP Tree and Stump Removal with the tender for DED removals and the company has started removing trees, mostly in forested or wooded areas. Private property owners with affected trees have received notices and service release forms from the contractor in order to start the work.
Every effort will be made to minimize disturbance to the property. The trees will be cut flush to the ground, but the stumps will not be removed as per the agreement with the province.
Dutch Elm Disease is an introduced disease caused by a fungus that kills elm trees. The fungus is spread from elm to elm by the native elm bark beetle, which feeds in the canopy of elms and, over the winter, under the bark at the base of the trees. The bark beetles breed in dead and dying elm material, including elms infected with Dutch Elm Disease.
The Dutch Elm Disease Management Program has been in existence in Manitoba ever since DED was first detected in the province in 1975.
Communities participate in the program through Community Forest Grant agreements with the province. Under these agreements, the province provides technical assistance, educational materials and support, funding for tree removals and urban forestry activities, and annual surveillance where trained inspectors search for elm firewood and infected elms. Participating municipalities remove trees identified and marked by provincial inspectors.
Each of the communities take measures to protect their elms from DED, including activities such as regular pruning of dead branches from elms that can attract elm bark beetles, basal spraying of an insecticide to elms to reduce elm bark beetle populations, and public education.
Selkirk’s DED efforts are paying off
Selkirk’s efforts to limit the spread of DED is paying off in more ways than one. Far fewer infected trees were slated for removal in 2022 and the surplus funding allowed the city this year to purchase new equipment and services to improve the its urban forestry operations.
“It’s an indication we’re doing something right”, said Mihali Schildle, the city’s Urban Forestry and Naturalization Coordinator.
“The purpose of the removal program, in partnership with the province, is so that we limit the transmission of Dutch Elm Disease to healthy elms. If we’re able to identify it early on, we can remove those trees and prevent the likelihood of disease spread to other trees throughout the city”.
Program cost-shared with the province
In the City of Selkirk, trees are considered critical infrastructure and their care and maintenance is guided by several policies, including a Street Tree Policy. The city monitors and assesses trees through an annual tree inventory, which includes not only elm, but all trees in the city’s canopy.
The cost of Dutch Elm Disease infected tree removal is shared between the City of Selkirk and the Province of Manitoba.
For more information on the Province’s program, go to Province of Manitoba | DED Questions & Answers (gov.mb.ca).
