The pruning ban is removed from elm trees as of today. The ban kicks in each year from April 1 to August 31 to reduce the risk of spreading Dutch elm disease (DED), a fungus that kills elms. The ban period coincides with the time when the elm bark beetles that carry the disease are most active. Fresh cuts from pruning can attract the insects, potentially spreading the disease from infected trees to healthy ones.

While there is a ban in place for part of the year, for elm trees, removing dead branches also makes them less attractive to elm bark beetles and home owners are encouraged to remove dead or unhealthy branches, especially once the leaves have fallen, which makes them easier to see. And if you hire someone to prune your elm tree, under provincial regulations, anyone pruning elms commercially must have completed a recognized training program or be supervised by someone who has.

In Saskatchewan it is illegal to transport, store, or use elm firewood. Elm wood should not be part of your organics recycling, you are advised to either burn it immediately or send it to the landfill. Infected firewood is the most likely way that DED would be brought into Saskatchewan.