Winnipeg could be spending $1.3 million dollars to fight the emerald ash borer, but it could be a drop in the bucket.
A report to the parks committee recommends the money be used to survey and remove infected tress on public property in 2018 plus a new forestry supervisor position be created costing $93,000. The report says the cost to fight the problem long term is a lot more, around $100 million over the next decade.
The report says, “Costs for managing the mortality of boulevard and park ash trees due to EAB are estimated to be $90 million over a 10-year period. An additional estimated $15 million would be required to manage the wood waste from ash tree removals.”
Emerald Ash Borer was recently discovered in the city. The report says Winnipeg is at risk of losing all ash trees worth $1.5 billion.
