The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) is planning on starting the removal of ash trees at the Stoney Island Conservation Area next month.
The SVCA has sent its staff to the area, located at 434 Bruce Road 23 in Kincardine, to assess and manage the forest and have seen the majority of ash trees have become infested and are declining rapidly as a result of emerald ash borer (EAB).
The authority says EAB has destroyed millions of ash trees and is a highly destructive, non-native, wood-boring beetle that feeds under the bark of ash trees, eventually killing them.
The SVCA has received approval to move forward with the removal of about 7,300 ash trees on the property and will be performed to ensure the safety of the people who enjoy the property as a space for recreation.
The area is being closed for up to two and a half months to allow time for both removal and clean-up operations.
SVCA Manager of Forestry and Lands Donna Lacey says they appreciate the temporary loss of access and the change in appearance to the local and beloved hiking, skiing and birding location will be upsetting for those who enjoy it regularly.
“This harvest is not an activity that we desire to undertake. The ash that are killed by EAB are extremely hazardous to property users. EAB has forced agencies such as SVCA to abandon proper forest management planning to instead remove trees based solely on species and safety concerns,” says Lacey.
She adds under no circumstances should any attempt to explore the property during the removal process be made, as a project on this scale is extremely dangerous.
“SVCA staff will be supervising the removal and working hard to re-open the trail system,” says Lacey.
A public meeting will be held at the Kincardine Davidson Centre on July 25 before the work begins in August.
