Regina company fined over illegal storage of elm wood

A Regina tree service company has been fined $3,500 for having a large amount of elm wood on its property for use as fuel.

Golden Acres Tree Services Inc. pleaded guilty in provincial court after being charged under provincial Dutch elm disease regulations.

The court heard the wood was discovered during a routine inspection of the property near the city last summer.

The Ministry of Environment says in a release that the company received a warning for the same offence in 2017.

The department does annual inspections of properties within a buffer zone around Regina and other communities as part of its Dutch elm disease management program.

It says storing and transporting elm wood is a high-risk activity that can quickly spread the disease and jeopardize the health of all elm trees in a community.

Officials say if an elm is pruned or removed, the wood should taken to the nearest designated disposal site as soon as possible.