The Annual Alberta Dutch Elm Disease Awareness Week starts this Friday to continue to educate Albertans about the dangers of the disease and prevention measures.

Town of Okotoks Urban Forester, Gordon White, says it's important to keep a close eye on any elm trees to keep Alberta free of the disease.

" There is no dutch elm disease in Alberta, that's why we try to educate the public that if they have an elm tree, they should inspect it in the summer and watch for signs of wilting and yellowing. I think there have only been one or two cases reported in Alberta," he said.

Currently, Alberta has the largest dutch elm disease free elm stand in the world, and the society to prevent dutch elm disease (STOPDED) asks for assistance with preventative measures each year on this week.

White says one vital piece to prevention is to not transport any elm firewood into Alberta under any circumstance, and that Albertans have done a great job in keeping the disease out of our province.

" We have the largest population of elm in North America unaffected by dutch elm disease, pretty impressive stat. And we contribute that to STOPDED, making sure we have management practices in place to keep it out of our province," said White.

Some care and prevention tips include: abiding by the elm pruning ban from April first until September 30th. Beetles that spread the disease from tree to tree are most active at this time of year, and can be attracted to the scent of fresh cut trees. Keep your elms healthy and vigorous, by watering well from April until mid-August, and mulching to preserve moisture. Remove dead branches between October first and March 31st, as they can provide beetle habitat. Dispose of all elm wood by burning, chipping or burying.

To report a DED suspect elm tree or for more information, call the STOPDED hotline at 1-877-837-elms or check out the web site at www.stopded.org.

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