A new positive case of Dutch Elm Disease has been detected in Saskatoon’s Varsity View neighbourhood.

The City has initiated its DED Response Plan, which includes removing the positive tree, surveilling the surrounding area to search for stored elm wood, sampling symptomatic trees within one kilometre of the infected tree, and continuing to prune trees in parks and on boulevards.

Parks staff will be checking every property in the area for elm firewood or brush and removing it when it is found. If residents are not home, staff will remove the wood and leave an Elm Infraction Notice at their door, with a note indicating that the wood was removed.

DED is a disease caused by a fungus that clogs the elm tree’s water and nutrient conducting system, which eventually causes the tree to die. It is spread by the elm bark beetle