A tree that tested positive for Dutch Elm Disease (DED) in Regina’s Wascana Centre has been removed. The tree was removed on Aug. 20 and additional testing is ongoing to make sure surrounding trees are removed and disposed of, the province said in a release. Three cases of DED have now been confirmed in Wascana Centre, one in 2014, one in 2019, and one in 2024. This year’s case was located east of the Wascana Parkway near the Saskatchewan Science Centre. Reginas elm trees are a defining characteristic of Wascana Centre and the entire city, Provincial Capital Commission Executive Director Jenna Schroeder said, noting that it is illegal to transport elm wood into the centre for recreational use. “Prevention is the best tool to stop the spread of Dutch Elm Disease. The Provincial Capital Commission has a DED control program, where arborists and tree care workers inspect elm trees during the summer, maintain and monitor elm bark beetle traps, prune elm trees between Sept. 1 and March 1, and inject designated elms with a fungicide on a three year cycle.
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