Starting this week Voluntary Authorization of Access forms will be delivered to St Clements property owners that have had trees with Dutch Elm Disease identified on their property.

The RM has contracted Green Drop Tree Care to remove the diseased trees. Green Drop Tree Care employees will go door to door to deliver the authorization forms. If you are home at the time of delivery, the employee will be able to answer quick questions, and you can sign the form and return it to them.

If no one is home, the employee will leave the form in the mailbox or in the door and after it is signed, you can mail or email it back to Green Drop Tree Care.

A total of 73 trees with Dutch Elm Disease were identified and marked this summer by provincial inspectors. There is no cure for Dutch Elm Disease, and the trees must be removed, as authorized under The Forest Health Protection Act.

The trees will be removed within the next couple of weeks weather permitting.

Dutch Elm Disease Facts

Dutch Elm Disease is a fungal disease that blocks water movement in elm trees and eventually leads to the death of the entire tree. A dead or dying elm attracts elm bark beetles, which breed underneath the bark of the tree. When the beetle leaves the tree, it will be contaminated with the spores of the fungus and spread them to other elms.

A tree that is infected with Dutch Elm Disease may produce sparse leaves in the spring. In early summer, there will be a sudden wilting of the leaves, usually at the top of the tree. In late summer, the leaves may become yellow and fall prematurely.

There is no cure for Dutch Elm Disease; prevention and removal of dead and dying trees is the only way to stop the spread of the disease.

You can help prevent Dutch Elm Disease by watering and fertilizing your elm to keep it healthy; pruning dead or dying branches immediately (The Forest Health Protection Act prohibits pruning between April 1 and July 31).

For more information on Dutch Elm Disease email trees@greendrop.com