Released on February 5, 2019
A Regina tree service company pleaded guilty in Regina provincial court to possessing elm wood for use as fuel, in contravention of The Dutch Elm Disease Regulations, and received a fine of $3,500.
Golden Acres Tree Services Inc. was charged after a large amount of elm wood was discovered during a routine inspection of a rural property near Regina in the summer of 2018.
The Ministry of Environment conducts annual inspections of properties within a buffer zone around Regina and other communities as part of its Dutch elm disease (DED) management program.
In 2017, the company received a warning for the same offence. Storing and transporting elm wood is a high-risk activity that can quickly spread DED, which puts all of the elm trees in a community in jeopardy. When pruning or removing an elm tree, it is important that all elm wood is disposed of properly by taking it to the nearest designated disposal site as soon as possible.
Check with your local municipal authority for designated disposal sites in your area.
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For more information, contact:
Val Nicholson
Environment
Prince Albert
Phone: 306-953-2459
Email: val.nicholson@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-981-5645