Forestry

Stump removal has begun.

The 2020 stumping season was delayed due to working restrictions around COVID-19. However, the City is planning to remove as many stumps as possible working within the available season and budget.

The stumping process involves grinding the stump, removing the stump grindings and replacing with soil. The newly placed soil is tamped, and SEED ONLY is placed and watered.

Please note the contractor is responsible to organize the work in the most efficient route available to them at the time. Coordination involves obtaining and organizing locates as required by law, working around site restrictions, poor weather, etc. Due to the variables involved in the planning process the City does not know the exact day the contractor will attend your address.

If your tree was removed between December 2019 – present, the stump in front of your house is planned to be removed in the 2021 stumping season. While tree removal is a year-round process, stump removal occurs, weather dependent, Spring to Fall.

While the contractor is legally required to obtain locates, the exact location of a telecom line is not often provided. This creates an unfortunate consequence that the stump removal process can sever communications lines often without the contractor realizing it has happened. When a line has been severed, neither the City nor the contractor can call to restore service. The telecom companies will only restore service at the request of the account holder. If you notice your service has been disrupted, please call your telecom provider immediately.

If you have any other questions or wish to confirm that your stump removal is on the list, submitted to the contractor this year, please email rpf@burlington.ca. Please ensure your address is included in the email subject line.

It is sad to see trees being cut down along our streets and in our woodlots. Unfortunately the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive insect that was introduced to North America on packaging materials and has ravaged our urban forests, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America. Ash trees were considered a favourite street-tree decades ago when many communities were developed. Once infested, the trees quickly become brittle, drop branches and die. The City of Burlington is tasked with managing the EAB infestation without assistance from federal or provincial levels of government so the financial burden is placed on the local taxpayers. Staff are working diligently to manage the crisis through planned removals and replanting on streets, while optimizing tight fiscal resources.

Ash tree removals are necessary along streets, in parks and in woodlands to protect people and property. In Burlington, more than 13 per cent of our urban trees are ash so we must remove thousands of trees. Some municipalities are harder hit though, with over 20 per cent of their tree populations dying.

We are replacing ash trees along streets on a 1:1 basis where appropriate site conditions allow. Due to the seasonal limitations and the work needed to grind out stumps and replant new trees, this process can take one to two years. The City of Burlington supports fair and equitable treatment for all residents, so replanting is prioritized based on when trees were removed. The size of tree chosen is standardized, as smaller trees establish and grow faster as compared to larger trees, which may have had more roots cut off during nursery production.  

In woodlands, proactive removals of ash trees have been initiated. Trees which may fall and injure people in back yards, or on maintained city trails and parks are being removed. Protecting the health and safety of residents is a top priority. Trees that are infested but are not within the areas that people generally use, will remain as habitat or wildlife trees within the woodlands.  Trees are left as logs and brush in the woodlands to decompose over time, returning organic material to the environment. This is the regeneration cycle of natural environments; wood removal or chipping with heavy equipment would be even more detrimental to the already impacted ecosystems. While it may appear messy at first, forests respond well to increased light and space, and new growth appears quickly. As woodland removals near completion in 2019, proposals to update the 10-year old Urban Forest Management Plan, and undertake a Woodland Management Plan to help restore our woodlands will be brought to City Council for consideration.

The following parks will have significant ash removals which are expected to complete in the summer of 2018:

• Ward 1: Hidden Valley Park
• Ward 2: Central Park
• Ward 3: Lowville Park
• Ward 4: Nelson Park, Tuck Park
• Ward 5: Sherwood Forest Park
• Ward 6: Ireland Park

We encourage residents to also become stewards of our urban forest which provides so many environmental and ecological benefits, and encourage all to consider planting more trees on their private property, where suitability exists. If there is an ash tree on private property, the property owner should consider hiring a certified arborist to discuss options. Property owners are responsible for managing their own trees on their property.

Emerald Ash Borer damage (above) is extensive on many Burlington streets.

Does the City of Burlington have any information on natural control of EAB (Emerald Ash Borer)?

• The Emerald Ash Borer Action Plan

The Canadian Forest Service is working on a pilot project where they have been releasing non-stinging Parasitic Wasps (Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Braconidae families) in various locations in Southern Ontario which include Ottawa, London and Newmarket. These wasps are native to Asia where they attack and kill EAB larva. Since EAB has no known predators in North America they are introducing this wasp to help control EAB in the future. This project is still in the early stages of development and no results on any potential impact of the parasitoids on EAB populations are available yet. For more information please refer to the following sites:

• Canadian Forestry Service
• Biological control of Emerald Ash Borer

Yes. Anytime you see a serious issue with a city tree please call the City and let us know.  Examples of issues of concern may include - a large broken branch hanging over a sidewalk, bus stop, or a park bench; or a tree that has split during a storm, or has uprooted.  Please leave a name, number where we can reach you at, in addition to the location of the issue. Also, do let us know the size of the issue, i.e., "a hanging branch thicker than an adult's arm over a sidewalk."

Not all old trees are a hazard, often they simply require maintenance from time to time. Large trees provide many important environmental benefits including air quality improvements, stormwater uptake, energy savings (shading and wind buffering), carbon uptake, as well as adding to property values. Contact a reputable tree care company who can send out a Certified Arborist, qualified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), to inspect the tree, looking for issues not seen by the naked eye. The Arborist may provide strategies including such as a Plant Health Care treatment plan; pruning; bracing; a tree preservation plan; or advise you of potential risks and options.

Trees on private property are the responsibility of the homeowner. You may wish to consider contacting a reputable tree care company with International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborists on staff. Consulting with a Certified Arborist will provide you with options for consideration based on the health of the tree.

Emerald Ash Borer is a non-native invasive insect from Asia that attacks and kills native ash trees (Fraxinus). Mountain Ash (Sorbus) is not affected by the Emerald Ash Borer. 

Burlington Forestry uses different marks to help identify certain things for our forestry team:

• A "green x” on a tree means that the tree has been identified for removal
• A "green dot" can mean that the tree has been identified for pruning
• For 2018, a "white dot" means that the ash tree was treated as part of our annual treatment program for Emerald Ash Borer
• In parks and woodlots, a "spray-painted ring" around the tree means that it is scheduled for removal.

Sticky sap dripping from your trees can be caused by aphids which secrete honeydew that can cause a sticky coating on things below. Linden trees often attract aphids. We suggest using a garden hose, turn it to a jet spray and spray the tree every few days to help reduce the number of aphids.

The City of Burlington is on a seven-year grid pruning cycle for boulevard trees. The scheduled pruning of boulevard trees includes: raising the canopy above the road and sidewalks and removal of any hazardous limbs and large deadwood.

We do need the help of the community to inform us of any significant hazards in the trees. If you see an issue which you consider to be a serious risk to people or property, please call us with your concerns and we will be happy to come out and inspect the tree. 

• Broken or hanging branches
• Dead or dying branches
• Cracks in the trunk or at branch unions
• Disease and pests
• Decay or rot
• Sightline issues

If you have concerns about a boulevard tree that you think may pose a serious risk to people or property, please contact the Forestry department and we will come out to inspect the tree.

There are many benefits for leaving logs and debris in city-owned woodlots, parks, and creek areas. Decomposing trees slowly add nutrients into the soil over time which helps to retain nutrients and moisture. The logs can act as nurse logs which support new tree growth. Halton Conservation supports this approach for environmental sustainability. Removing debris from woodlots and naturalized areas can cause significant damage to trees and plants already established in these areas. Because of this, we ask that residents refrain from removing wood or branches from naturalized areas. Additionally, unmaintained woodlots can provide tripping and other hazards which can result in your injury during wood removal.