Next week, the week of November 16th Sarah Ransom Park off of Dunbar St. in Rockwood will be closed to the public for the duration of the week for scheduled tree removals. There are a large number of ash trees in this wooded park that have succumb to the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer. These dead standing trees now pose a public safety risk to users of the trail system in Sarah Ransom Park. The number of dead trees to be removed is in excess of 80 trees, we know this work is going to change the landscape of the park and disturb the ecosystem that exists in this woodlot. There is a plan in place to extensively replant native species in the park in the spring of 2021 in the openings that are created through removals. Our management strategy at the Township for removals in woodlots is to leave the brush and wood in the forest and to let it return to the earth. However for these scheduled removals because of the volume of wood that will be laid on the ground a decision has been made to chip as much brush as possible leaving the wood chip on the forest floor and to remove all log wood. This decision was made to assist with our re-planting efforts in the spring of 2021. With a number of homes that share a property line with Sarah Ransom Park staff also wanted to make an effort to improve the safety and aesthetics of the forest and to ensure there is not a surplus of fuel wood on the forest floor during future summer dry spells. Any questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 519-856-9596 x113 or Parks@get.on.ca
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