Update: The Public Information Session originally scheduled for Tuesday, January 10 has been postponed until Thursday, January 12. It will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre.

The recommendation to remove up to 500 ash trees from Fairy Lake, as a result of an Emerald Ash Borer infestation, was approved at a December 12 Saugeen Shores Council meeting.

See: Removal of 500 ash trees at Fairy Lake imminent

From a December 20 Town of Saugeen Shores media release, to ensure the public is informed and involved in this process, a Fairy Lake public information session has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 10 beginning at 5 p.m. at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre, 22 Victoria Street North in Southampton.

Those in attendance will have an opportunity to learn about Emerald Ash Borer and provide input on the various aspects of the Fairy Lake Restoration Project. In the case of inclement weather, the meeting will be moved to Thursday, January 12.

The harvest will remove up to 500 trees in order to keep the area safe for public use and help slow the spread of the EAB population. This is the first stage of a larger project to rehabilitate the park’s natural values and improve visitor experiences.

The Emerald Ash Borer is an aggressive invasive species that kills ash trees and is a significant threat to natural areas. While a number of options were presented, a single harvest of these dead and dying trees was recommended as it requires only one disturbance to the area, and ecological restoration and rehabilitation can immediately begin. The Town is working closely with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority to remove the trees in an ecologically sound manner.

“We are, of course, very sad to see the removal of so many trees, some are very large and spectacular specimens,” said Frank Burrows, Parks Manager for the Town of Saugeen Shores. “But by taking care of the issue immediately, we can also immediately begin rehabilitation and rejuvenation of the park through Canada 150th Infrastructure funding and the assistance of the local environmental organization SauGreen for the Environment Inc.”

In 2016 the Town was successful in obtaining funding under the 150th Infrastructure Funding Program and has matched this funding for a total budget of $99,000. This project includes rehabilitation of the trail, replacing two pedestrian bridges, installing an additional water fountain and a lookout for an opening date of July 1. SauGreen was also successful in receiving grants to undertake ecosystem restoration, youth environmental education and construct a dry stack stone stairway at Fairy Lake. Together these projects complement each other very well to renew Fairy Lake, restore the ecosystem and celebrate Canada’s 150th.

“Fairy Lake is a natural, peaceful environment,” said Burrows. “We want to ensure any project we complete there will only enhance these qualities. We know how valuable this location is to our community.”