Saskatoon's counter-attack on a tree-killing pest has been visible and aggressive, but the trees are still dying. Now there is a call to step up the fight in an effort to save the urban forest.

"We need to be careful about what our response is," said city councillor Hilary Gough.

One thousand trees have been removed to stop the spread of the Cottony ash psyllid, a tiny yellow-green pest that first arrived in the city back in 2006. The funds for this year's battle have run dry and not all the trees have been replaced.

There are other pests that we know about in other regions of Canada. - Hilary Gough

Now, there is a call for more money and a long term strategy.

"It's no small task to remove and replace a tree. It's a big job," said Gough.

Councillor Hilary Gough says the city is going to have to think strategically if it wants to ensure the future health of its vast urban forest. (CBC)

Kill count keeps rising

More black and mancana ash trees, of which there are about 7,000 in the city, are showing clear signs that they will not survive.

Gough, who is a member of a committee looking for ways to protect the city's much loved urban forest, said there are some vital questions they need to answer.

"We know that there is still a lot of work to do … we know that there is likely to 2,000 or 3,000 more trees that we will have to remove and these are just city trees," she said.

"Where are they, and what resources do we need?"

Cash for trees

City council will be asked for more money. A little more than $400,000 will be needed in 2019 to try and finish off the threat posed by the Cottony ash psyllid. Gough said there is also a call to begin seeding a $1-million fund, with an annual contribution of $250,000.

"There are other pests that we know about in other regions of Canada," warned Gough.

She said that the city will have to develop a strategy that not only gets rid of ailing trees but that also makes sure that "we are responding in a way that's going to mean that our urban forest is more diverse and more resilient to future pests and future diseases."