The City of Weyburn Parks department is responsible for the management of Weyburn’s urban forest. This includes all city-owned trees located in parks, boulevards and residential streets and on the grounds of various city-owned facilities.
Trees are an invaluable asset that provide shade, shelter and aesthetic qualities that can be appreciated by just about everyone. This can be especially true on the Saskatchewan prairies where they can be difficult to establish.
Urban forest maintenance includes tree planting, monitoring, identification and control of insect pests and diseases, dead and dying tree removal and pruning. All urban forestry activities are performed by Parks staff that are fully trained and certified to prune and perform pest control operations.
- Overall health of the tree
- Mitigating hazards such as broken branches and splits
- Traffic clearance when travelling on streets
- Pedestrians clearance along sidewalks
- Traffic signs and signals clearance along streets and sidewalks
Pruning of city-owned trees is done primarily over the winter months, although some work must be performed year-round.
In the winter, city-owned trees are pruned in rotation, once every five years. Trees are pruned systematically tree by tree, street by street in an identified area. Winter pruning operations focus on removing dead branches, thinning out over grown trees, pruning low hanging branches and for sight obstruction.
In the summer, as the Parks department has other park related work, pruning operations must be prioritized according to the below criteria.
1. Hazzard
Trees posing a safety concern and danger to the public:
- Tree trunk or large branches that have fallen across road blocking traffic.
- Tree is splitting, cracking or leaning, showing signs of failure.
2. Obstruction
- Trees causing sight obstruction or visibility issues.
- Trees obstructing utilities.
- Trees obstructing sanitation and street maintenance vehicles.
3. General Pruning
- Tree needs pruning for the health of the tree and to relieve the weight of low hanging branches.
- City-owned tree has dead branches but is not considered a hazard.
Every year, the Parks department receives a considerable number of pruning requests. It can take staff months to complete the large amount of requests. All pruning requests will be prioritized according to the above three criteria and by other Parks department related work.
Pesticide use is avoided whenever possible and where necessary the least toxic option is chosen. Biological products are used, if available, as a control option for specific pests. If not, products such as insecticidal soaps are utilized and, where applicable, pruning and sanitation is used to control pests and diseases.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
1. Identify – Identify and prioritize which pests require control and a realistic expectation to how to control the pests.
2. Monitor – Monitor pest population and establish tolerable damage levels.
3. Control – Use appropriate techniques and tools to control nuisance species that provide the least disruption to the surrounding environment. The uses of chemicals are only used as a last resort.
4. Evaluate – Followup and monitor the success of control method used.
The most common tree pests and diseases found in the City of Weyburn are listed here with information to help you identify and control them on private property. Remember that the trees on the boulevards and easements are the responsibility of the City and that homeowners may not prune or apply pesticides to city-owned trees.
How you can help us
- This service is provided at no cost to the homeowner; all we ask in return is for you to give the tree plenty of water during the tree’s first two growing seasons.
- Do not apply any herbicide in area near root ball, trunk or leaves.
- Keep grass and weeds away from the trunk. Trees can establish more quickly when not competing with other plants for nutrients and water.
- Avoid damaging the bark with grass trimmers.
- Mulch with wood chips or other organic mulch around the base of the tree to keep soil cool and moisture in. Keep mulch and other items away from the trunk (root flare) of the tree. Do not use solid plastic sheeting, generally used for weed control, as it can damage the tree by blocking oxygen and water from reaching the roots.
This policy was introduced in order to reinforce the urban forestry bylaw by providing specific protections for mature trees. It details specific steps that must be followed when a request to remove a tree for construction or other purposes is received. The policy encourages developers to plan construction so as not to impact existing trees.
In the event that the Parks Manager approves a tree removal, the developer is responsible for all cost to remove the tree, plus the value of the tree (ISA tree valuation process), which can be significant for mature trees. Any funds thus collected are utilized for the purchase and planting of trees elsewhere within the City.
View the Urban Forestry Bylaw for more information.
(a) Plant a tree on public property without written permission from the Parks Manager
(b) Cut, prune, alter the appearance, or remove any public tree
(c) Apply or administer a chemical in any form that would cause harm or death of any public tree
(d) Deposit any materials or equipment which may impede the free passage of water, air, or nutrients to the roots of any public tree
(e) Alter the grade level or alter the drainage pattern in a manner which may interfere with access of water, air or nutrients to any public tree
(f) Fasten any object to or directly around a public tree
(g) Remove or damage any marker, barrier, water bag, or other device which has been installed by the Parks Department to aid or protect a public tree
(h) Commence or continue any work or activity which damages or interferes with a public tree included the root system.