At today's Council meeting, the City of Mississauga's Forestry Section received approval to begin treatment to protect City-owned Ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Council also endorsed the 10-year EAB Active Management Plan in principle which will be subject to budget approval in the fall.

"By identifying and treating City-owned trees now, we are taking the first step in managing the spread of EAB throughout the City," said Gavin Longmuir, manager, Forestry. "With over 46,000 Ash trees located on City boulevards and in parks, our long-term plan addresses the need for ongoing management to preserve as many of our street and park Ash trees as possible."

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a highly destructive invasive insect that attacks and kills all species of ash trees native to North America. Since its introduction to North America in the early 1990s, EAB has quickly spread throughout southwestern Ontario and has been declared an invasive alien species by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and is therefore subject to quarantine.

2012 Treatment Program

Based on a number of survey methods including branch sampling and traps completed in 2011, the Forestry Section has identified three zones for treatment between mid-July and the end of August of this year:
• Ward 3 – Dixie & Eglinton
• Ward 8 – Winston Churchill & Dundas
• Ward 9 – Erin Mills Parkway & Britannia

Ash trees within a half-kilometre radius of positively identified trees will be treated if they meet the City of Mississauga's treatment criteria as follows:
• 20cm or greater in diameter
• Overall health and structure
• Location
• Level of EAB infestation

The City of Mississauga will hire licensed contractors to use a Canadian-made product called TreeAzin™ developed by BioForest Technologies and Canada Forest Service. TreeAzin™ uses an injection system to apply the insecticide directly into the tree and is required to be completed every two years. To learn more about BioForest Technologies and TreeAzin™, visit www.bioforest.ca.

Privately-owned Trees

Privately-owned trees are the responsibility of the owner. The Forestry Section encourages property owners to continually inspect their Ash trees and contact a certified arborist for more information.

To learn more about Emerald Ash Borer and the City of Mississauga's treatment program for 2012, visit www.mississauga.ca/pestmanagement.

As Canada's sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 738,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is "Leading Today for Tomorrow" by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.

                                                        - 30 -

Media Contact:
Erin Beaudoin
Public Affairs Specialist
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200 ext. 4297
erin.beaudoin@mississauga.ca
TTY: 905-896-5151