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Woodstock Embarks on Battle with the Borer

A tiny green beetle is chewing its way through hundreds of trees, and thousands of dollars. Woodstock City Council has approved spending $50,000 immediately to cut down a swath of dead ash trees, victims of the Emerald Ash Borer. As you heart first on Heart FM this week, the Lions and Youth Start Trails have been shut down and City Parks Director Brian Connors says the trees have to come down now. "It's dead wood standing. Any kind of weather event could have a tree fall on someone, if they were in there." There's also risk of 70-foot dead trees falling onto Dundas St. in the west end. Connors says it's a huge job, and one that will essentially clear cut the Lions trail. "Certainly Lions, 97% of the trees are Ash." About half of the 97 dead trees on the neighbouring Youth Start trail have already been cut down, but still need removal. Meantime, staff will be looking at other trails in the city, not to mention 900 street trees that are Ash. Connors says it's just the start of the city's battle with the borer. "There will be trees to come down in other trails, but it won't be as devastating as the Lions Trail."

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