The City of Charlottetown’s Fall 2016 Dutch Elm Disease management program will begin this month with the release of a Request for Proposals for the removal of some diseased elm trees.
The City has been closely monitoring its elms since launching its Dutch Elm Disease (DED) management plan in 2015. DED is an incurable and, for the most part, deadly fungal disease of elm trees. The fungal spores enter the tree, clogging the vessels that transport water and nutrients up and down the tree. This usually kills the tree in 3 - 5 years.
The City has been trying to slow the progress of the disease by closely monitoring elms on public and private property. Removals are done in the Fall of the year that the tree is identified as having DED. The wood is then disposed of properly to avoid further spread of the disease.
The pruning or removal of elms must be done in the fall or winter months when Elm Bark Beetles go into hibernation.
One of the ways that DED spreads is through these beetles. The beetles become covered with fungal spores from infected elm trees, which they spread to healthy trees as they move from tree to tree.
Approximately 90 elm trees were identified in the past few months as having DED. The diseased or dead elms will be marked and removed once a contractor is chosen through the RFP process. The work is scheduled to begin in mid- to late-October.
All DED infected and dead elm trees will be removed as part of the work, including those on private property. This work will be paid for by the City. Residents will be contacted by the City if they have any affected elm trees on their property.
DED, if not controlled, can quickly spread to our remaining healthy elm trees resulting in even more loss of the City’s largest and most beautiful trees. The City remains committed to its DED management program and trying to slow the progress of the disease to extend the life of the remaining elms.
City of Charlottetown