www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, September 5, 2012 · 4 Town treated 3,000 ash trees this summer By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Town of Oakville announced Thursday, it has treated more than 3,000 municipal ash trees this summer with the biological insecticide TreeAzin to protect them against the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This summer's work means the Town has now treated a total of 5,700 public ash trees located on town streets and in its parks. The TreeAzin injections provide the ash trees with two years of protection against the invasive EAB, which is devastating ash tree populations across North America. "Oakville has the most aggressive EAB workplan in the country," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "We're able to treat about 75 per cent of the ash canopy located on streets and in parks because we implemented an early detection program that enabled us to act quickly to fight against the infestation. Council will continue to work towards increasing our canopy cover over the coming years, and strengthening our urban forest's capacity to deal with invasive species like EAB." Oakville Mayor Rob Burton Oakville Canopy Club to encourage residents to save the tree canopy by hiring certified service providers to treat their own ash trees. The Oakville Canopy Club was present at major community events such as Midnight Madness and Ribfest to help make residents aware of the importance of ash tree treatment. The Oakville Chamber of Commerce recently joined the canopy club with chamber member First Canadian Title, treating the ash trees on their property at Sheridan Garden Drive. The Town also sent a letter in late June to all private residences in Oakville outlining options for managing EAB on private property. "Feedback from residents on canopy club initiatives has been positive "Oakville has the most aggressive EAB workplan in the country We're able to treat about 75 per cent of the ash canopy located on streets and in parks because we implemented an early detection program that enabled us to act quickly to fight the infestation." PHOTO COURTESY TOWN OF OAKVILLE EAB DAMAGE TOLL: The bark of an ash tree that has been infested by the deadly Emerald Ash Borer. The Town has treated more than 3,000 municipallyowned trees this summer and will continue treating others next summer. According to Oakville's EAB workplan, 25 per cent of Oakville's public ash trees on streets and parkland must be removed because they are so heavily infested that they cannot be saved. The Town will begin a pilot project this fall to manage EAB in woodland parks. "The Town plans to replace dead or dying trees with a new species of tree to meet Oakville's canopy cover objective of 40 per cent by 2057," said Chris Mark, director, Parks and Open Space. With most of Oakville's estimated 180,000 ash trees located on private property, the Town has launched the and residents' enthusiasm for taking steps to protect their trees was made clear through the large number of calls we received about EAB over the summer," said John McNeil, manager of Forestry Services for the Town of Oakville. Late August was the deadline to treat ash trees with TreeAzin for 2012. Residents who saw their public ash tree treated this summer will see town crews return in 2014. Next summer, the Town will target the ash trees that were treated in 2011. For more information about managing EAB, visit www.oakville. ca. Residents can also follow the Oakville Canopy Club on Facebook and Twitter. it all started when my baby stopped breathing... She was only three weeks old when Lexie suddenly stopped breathing in my arms. Within seconds, my beautiful, healthy baby turned blue and I was frantic. Once she was in the emergency department, the doctors and nurses took over and diagnosed Lexie with a respiratory virus. She was in the hospital for a week with monitors and oxygen devices helping her breathe, but today she is a healthy and proud big sister to her brother Liam thanks to the life-saving equipment in our hospital. Each and every year, our hospital needs hundreds of pieces of new equipment that will improve the lives of all of us here in Oakville. Every piece is critical and every piece needs to be funded by our community. It all starts here with your help. Please give generously. OakvilleHospitalFoundation.com Please call 905 338 4642 to make a difference by donating to the Oakville Hospital Foundation. Charitable Registration #: 13145-3490 RR0001 The Oakville Hospital Foundation is grateful for the generous support of our media sponsor, the Oakville Beaver. Lexie and Liam Evans in Erchless Park, Oakville Lemon Love Photography