Two trees have been killed with poison in Kelowna in what the City has branded a “tragic and senseless” act of vandalism.
One large elm – at 900 Manhattan Drive – and seven aspens in the Kuipers Peak neighbourhood have been lost to poisonings, the City of Kelowna said today.
The elm was believed to be over 60 years old.
The aspens, meanwhile, helped to moderate groundwater and thus stabilize nearby slopes.
“These intentional acts of harm to our trees are really tragic and senseless,” said Tara Bergeson, urban forestry technician with the City of Kelowna.
“With all the benefits that trees provide our city, the big question when it comes to tree vandalism is ‘Why’? The elm on Manhattan was a mature tree providing shade, helping to clean the neighbourhood’s air and beautifying the street.”
The City said it cost $5,000 to remove the dead elm.
Anyone found vandalizing or removing City trees could be fined up to $50,000 for each offence.
Anyone with information related to the poisonings is asked to call the City at 250-469-8500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
