The province is preparing plans to keep black ash trees following a disastrous number of losses to emerald ash borers.
The Endangered Species Act as it applied to black ash was suspended when the ash borer epidemic hit two years aqo; that suspension is due to expire Jan. 1.
The plan now is to lift the suspension on trees that have survived.
It would apply to:
- the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York
- the Municipalities of Central Manitoulin, Centre Hastings, Chatham-Kent, Gordon/Barrie Island, Marmora and Lake, and Tweed
- the counties of Brant, Bruce, Dufferin, Elgin, Essex, Frontenac, Grey, Haldimand, Huron, Lambton, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Manitoulin, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxford, Perth, Peterborough, Prescott and Russell, Prince Edward, Simcoe, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, and Wellington
- the Townships of Admaston/Bromley, Assiginack, Billings, Burpee and Mills, Cockburn Island, Georgian Bay, Greater Madawaska, Horton, Jocelyn, Johnson, Laird, Limerick, Macdonald Meredith and Aberdeen Additional, McNab-Braeside, Madoc, St. Joseph, Stirling-Rawdon, Tehkummah, Tudor and Cashel, Tarbutt, Tyendinaga and Wollaston
- the Cities of Belleville, Kawartha Lakes, Ottawa, Quinte West, Hamilton, Sault St. Marie, Toronto and Thunder Bay
- the Towns of Arnprior, Gore Bay, Gravenhurst and Northeastern Manitoulin and Islands
A healthy Black Ash tree is one that appears to have survived exposure to emerald ash borers, remains in a healthy condition and has a trunk diameter at breast height of at eight centimetres.
These trees are thought to have the greatest potential to support the recovery of the species, says the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
