Dutch elm disease back in Saskatoon for the first time since 2015

Saskatoon has its second case of Dutch elm disease in the city’s history.

The infected tree is located on the edge of the Montgomery Place neighbourhood, adjacent to Circle Drive. The city has begun the process to destroy the tree, along with those neighbouring the positive case.

The tree will be removed Wednesday morning before its buried by city staff.

In a socially distanced press conference Tuesday, the city’s Urban Biological Services Supervisor, Jeff Boone explained how the disease moves from tree to tree.

“It’s a fungal pathogen, it’s quite aggressive in how it attacks trees. It’s moved around by a few different species of beetles. These beetles attack the tree, bringing the fungus with them and then the fungus moves throughout the crown of the tree, causing (it) to decline,” he said.

The infected tree is an American elm, which is one of around 30,000 in Saskatoon’s urban forest, according to Boone.

The city’s emergency response plan was drafted prior to its enactment in 2015 when the city had its first positive case. Boone laid out the plans Tuesday to work on the infected tree.

“Initially starting with a 500-metre bubble around the positive tree, looking at all elms in that area. Additionally, doing (a) very extensive firewood survey,” he said, before noting that elmwood is illegal to store in Saskatchewan.

“We want to make sure we stay ahead of it.”

Depending on how far the city is able to get with the 500-metre bubble, they may expand it to one kilometre.

Currently, a focus is being put on the Montgomery, Fairhaven, Meadowgreen and the South Industrial neighbourhood areas.

Residents can help prevent the disease by not pruning elms from April 1 to Aug. 31, not storing the elm firewood and dispose of the firewood at the city landfill.