2024-01-09 05:00:00
The wooded area of Domaine de Maizerets is stripped of hundreds of ash trees, while major felling work is underway, rendering certain areas completely devoid of mature trees.
In total, more than 1,300 trees, all ash trees, will be felled by 2027 at Domaine de Maizerets, to counter the epidemic linked to the emerald ash borer, which is wreaking havoc in several sectors of the city.
The damage caused by this insect from Asia is striking when you venture into the hiking trails of the Domaine, where certain places have been almost razed, while dozens of tree trunks litter the ground.
Hundreds of mature trees had to be felled at Domaine de Maizerets, in order to counter the harmful effects linked to the emerald ash borer. Photo Elisa Cloutier
This is currently the third phase of ash tree felling at Domaine de Maizerets, during which 350 ash trees will be felled by February 2. “The cutting aims to secure the development of the woodland [sentiers]public places and nearby properties in relation to falling branches or trunks of ash trees attacked by the borer,” specifies the spokesperson for the city of Quebec, Isabelle Petit.
Since felling work began in this sector in 2021, more than 1,200 ash trees have been cut down. Around a hundred others will be, by 2027.
The emerald ash borer has wreaked havoc at Domaine de Maizerets, where more than 1,200 ash trees have been felled so far. Photo Elisa Cloutier
Reforestation
The municipal administration plans to replant nearly 450 trees in the most affected areas over the next summer and fall. Nearly 500 other trees and shrubs will then be replanted by 2027, the city maintains.
Several trunks litter the ground at Domaine de Maizerets, where a major cutting of ash trees is underway, to counter the effects of the emerald ash borer. Photo Elisa Cloutier
Since its arrival here, precisely in the Montcalm district, in 2017, the emerald ash borer has severely affected the condition of the ash trees in the city.
“To date, interventions have mainly been concentrated in urban areas in order to ensure good management of the 12,000 ash trees present in the municipal inventory. The coming years will see the number of operations increase in wooded areas, going from around 2,750 fellings linked to the emerald ash borer in 2023 to more than 4,250 in 2027,” explains Ms. Petit.
All municipal ash trees should ultimately be cut down by 2032. Each tree will eventually be replaced, the city confirms.
In total, Quebec City has nearly 132,000 ash trees on its territory, while there are nearly 326,000 on private properties.
The budget allocated to the fight once morest this pest insect, which has no predators on our continent and which adapts well to our climate, recently increased from $15M to $45M over 15 years.
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