The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCSD-10-036 - Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness PlanREPORT REPORT TO: Community Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 7, 2010 SUBMITTED BY: Jim Witmer, Director of Operations PREPARED BY: David Schmitt MES Environmental and Urban Forest Project Manager WARD(S) INVOLVED: City Wide DATE OF REPORT: May 27, 2010 REPORT NO.: CSD-10-036 SUBJECT: EMERALD ASH BORER PREPAREDNESS PLAN RECOMMENDATION: That an Emerald Ash Borer Strategy \ Management Plan ($175,000) be included in the 2011 Capital Budget approval process; and, That staff review options to advance the approved 2014\15 Park Tree Inventory to begin in 2011; and further, That a 10 year Capital and Operating budget plan be developed to actively manage Emerald Ash Borer. BACKGROUND: Since 2004, with additional updates in 2005 and 2008, staff has been updating Council on the forthcoming impacts of Emerald Ash Borer(EAB). EAB is a federally quarantined and invasive tree pest that affects all ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). EAB was introduced from Asia to the Windsor\Detroit area in 2002. This tree pest is considered to be one of the most damaging pests ever introduced to North America and is causing catastrophic tree loss. Since 2002 EAB has spread from Michigan into the Great Lakes Basin to New York State, and expanded its range in Ontario and entered Quebec. Millions of trees have already been killed. In Kitchener EAB will have a significant impact on the City’s street trees, natural areas, active parks and private property. In 2009 the City hired Urban Forest Innovations Inc. to prepare an Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Plan. This report is a summary of the draft plan. With the completion of the street tree inventory, staff and its consultant are able to now calculate the financial cost of EAB in terms of lost value\benefit, removal and replanting costs for the City’s street trees. î ó ï REPORT: In the 2008 update staff informed Council that EAB had spread to London (Middlesex County) and had been confirmed in the City of Toronto. EAB has now expanded east of London and expanded its range significantly in the Greater Toronto Area with confirmed infestations from Durham to Niagara. Kitchener is now surrounded by EAB. Experts consider this area a high risk thth area. Since EAB is typically not found until the 4 or 5 year, there is a high likelihood that EAB is already in this area. During the tree inventory ash trees showing signs of decline were flagged, and a number of areas were investigated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. To date none of these investigations have found EAB in the City. Research and the experience of municipalities (e.g. Windsor) already impacted by EAB indicate that most ash trees are dead within ten years. Since detection does not usually occur until the thth 4 or 5 year, population levels have already peaked and dispersed through the city by the time EAB is confirmed. This leaves very little time for a municipality to react before it is faced with catastrophic tree loss. Dead trees along city streets, in active parks and along trails in natural areas are a public safety issue that must be addressed. The street tree inventory, completed in 2009, identified 4,522 ash trees along residential streets. With 100% tree mortality expected, the cost to remove (3 million) and replant (1.75 million) ash trees along city streets will be 4.75 million dollars over ten years. Density mapping of the ash trees shows that some parts of the city will be more impacted than others. The 4.75 million does not include any costs for EAB in the City’s 1,550 hectares (3,830 acres) park system, including active parkland (> 650 hectares) and natural areas (> 900 hectares). The required information to calculate such costs is not available. The cost to address dead ash trees in the City’s parkland is expected to also be significant. The City of Burlington estimates that EAB will cost them 11.5 million dollars over ten years. EAB is a federally regulated tree pest. To date the federal government has not provided financial support to any affected municipalities. The provincial government has also not provided any funding to municipalities. Therefore, the City must plan to cover all EAB costs within its own budgets. With the lack of leadership and support from the federal and provincial governments the City will be responsible for informing and assisting the community. It is expected that the City will incur additional costs for communication, stewardship, bylaw enforcement and property standards, on private lands. In addition to the cost to remove and replant trees killed by EAB, there is also the lost value and benefits that ash trees provide to the community. Scientific research shows that trees in urban areas provide important social, public health, environmental and economic benefits to the community. Using the street tree inventory data and a scientific model developed by the United States Forest Service (i-Tree Streets) the value and benefits that the 4,522 ash trees along city streets was calculated. On an annual basis these ash trees provide $307,792 of free environmental services in terms of air pollution mitigation, carbon sequestration, and storm water management. Without considering the growth of these trees, and the fact these benefits increase with tree size – the existing ash population along city streets will provide more than 3.0 million dollars of free environmental services over ten years. Using the replacement value (value is focused on social\economic benefits) developed by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers these same ash trees have an assessed value of 5.2 million dollars. Therefore, the total lost value\benefit, removal and replanting costs for the City’s ash trees will be in excess of 7.75 million dollars over the next ten years. Considering the direct and indirect costs associated with just the City’s street trees, it is clear that the full impact of EAB to Kitchener will be significant. î ó î Until recently the options municipalities had to manage EAB were limited. With advances in technology (hyperspectral imagery), sampling techniques (statistical branch sampling) and management techniques (chemical treatment, aggressive tree removal) municipalities are being given new tools and techniques to manage\defer costs, and options to protect parts of their ash population. Today, the city has a number of management options it can consider. The least engaged approach – crisis management – would be to do nothing until trees die and require removal. Cost estimates indicate that this option will cost the City 4.75 million dollars just for the street trees. This approach also does not give municipalities the option to manage or defer their costs. During the peak mortality period of EAB, Operations will not be able to keep up with the removals of dead ash trees and its regular tree services (customer service requests, pruning, other tree removals, plantings, stumping). Many of these areas already have significant backlogs, and are expected to get significantly worse when EAB peaks. Staff recommends that the City take an active approach to EAB, with the objectives being: 1) to manage\defer EAB costs; 2) minimize impacts on other tree services provided to the community; 3) fill data gaps by moving forward the active parkland tree inventory and carrying out hyperspectral imagery for public and private lands – to identify the location of ash trees City wide; 4) monitor EAB utilizing the new branch sampling technique; 5) evaluate opportunities to protect part of the existing ash population; 6) determine the City’s management approach and level of active management through chemical control and pro-active removals; 7) develop a communications strategy; 8) determine the level of City support for private lands; 9) develop a ten year budget; and 10) develop an EAB Strategy\Management Plan. Staff is requesting that new capital funding be provided in 2011 to develop the EAB Strategy and Management Plan, that the approved park tree inventory be move forward to 2011, and that staff return in 2011 with a ten year capital and operating plan. Recognizing the impact these budget requests will have, staff wanted to make Council aware of this issue prior to the budget process. This fall\winter Operations plans to use the recently developed branch sampling technique developed by the Canadian Forest Service. This early detection method has been found to have a 90% success rate. Used successfully in Oakville and Burlington this tool will allow the city to pro-actively manage EAB. Costs for this sampling work will be covered under existing operating and capital budgets by the re-direction of existing resources to complete this work. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The financial impacts of EAB on the City will be significant. If EAB is not already in this area it will be in the next few years. The purpose of this report is to make Council and senior management aware of this issue and its potential impact on capital and operating budgets over the next 10–15 years. COMMUNICATIONS: Communications is aware of this issue, and a communications strategy will be a key element of the EBA Strategy and Management Plan. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, General Manager, Community Services Department î ó í