Those within Moose Jaw that are wanting to prune their Elm Trees, have until April 1, to do so, as that is when the provincial ban comes into effect.  

Following April 1, it will become illegal to prune elm trees.  

The City of Moose Jaw’s Parks Supervisor, Daily Lennox says this ban is in effect to protect trees from Dutch Elm Disease (DED) and elm bark beetles.  

“This little beetle is attracted to fresh cuts of elmwood, and we want to keep them away from our elm trees because we do have DED in town and chances are that some of them are carrying that fungus, which will kill your elm tree,” says Lennox.  

Lennox adds that once the beetle makes its way into the elm tree and deposits its eggs, it doesn’t take long for that fungus to infect the whole tree and kill it.  

In the past year, the City of Moose Jaw has reported 49 positive cases of DED within the city.  

For those that will begin pruning their elm trees, Lennox explains where they can dispose of their waste.  

“We would ask you to call the Parks and Rec office and ask for an Elm Disposal Permit,” says Lennox. “When you do call, they’re going to ask you when you plan on taking it to the landfill, the license plate of the vehicle that might be going. You get the permit, and you can safely transport your elm wood to the landfill where we dispose of it.”  

Lennox notes that the Elm Disposal Permit is completely free, along with zero cost to dispose of it at the landfill.   

For residents that may have an abundance of yard waste, that may be the result of an early October snowstorm and are unsure if it is elmwood, the city will come and inspect it for free.  

“If you don’t know, what is it put in a request for service or give us a call at the park's office and someone will come out and identify the wood for you.” 

Parks and Recreation crews will be surveying alleys for elmwood and will notify residents with a timeline to properly dispose of the elmwood. 

Requests for service can be made on the City of Moose Jaw’s Report an Issue feature on their website.  

The basis for pruning your elm trees is trying to maintain and keep your trees as healthy as possible to combat DED.  

“We never prune more than 20-25 per cent of live wood. Please remove all dead branches from your elm, because elm bark beetles are attracted to dead elm and dead branches, but don’t over-prune the healthy branches.” 

“If you want to keep your elms as healthy as possible, try to get a clean cut. A clean cut will heal much quicker than a jagged piece of half branch.” 

Another way to keep your elm tree healthy, during the pruning ban it to give it additional water in the summer.  

The pruning ban will run from April 1 to August 31.