Minto’s tree committee has a forest of ideas they would like to plant with councillors here.
Hugh Thompson, Jill Welsh, and Louise Bexton were at Minto council last week representing the Minto tree committee to explain its activities, accomplishments and 2009 goals. Thompson provided a very brief history of how the tree committee actually began.
“Several years ago some citizens decided we needed to do more to improve the canopy within our town. It then became a committee of the town, and in the past year really started to take shape.”
He outlined the membership of the current committee.
“Our objective is to promote the general welfare of our trees through preservation, replacement and planting in order to reduce air pollution, reduce noise, reduce storm runoff, lessen soil erosion, protect wildlife, protect property values, and to ensure the long term sustainability of a healthy tree canopy for our present and future residents.”
Since last June, things really started to roll, the group has offered several information meetings for itself and the public. Thompson said speakers have included Mark Van Patter from Wellington County, who talked about a tree bylaw for the town. Other speakers have handled topics such as tree pruning and care which gave members an idea of how much time would be needed to accomplish their overall goals.
He cited the meeting with Toni Ellis, of Elora’s NeighbourWoods group.
“She certainly was energetic. She gave an excellent presentation in Clifford in February.”
Next up was Rob Johnson, from the Green Legacy program, at the Norgan Theatre.
“Unfortunately, that presentation was the same night as the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network public meeting at the Harriston arena, so the turnout wasn’t all that good.”
He said the group sees its next goal as helping to draft a tree bylaw for the town.
Jill Welsh said a bylaw could include publicly and privately owned trees. She said tree inventories could be a big job. “I’m not sure if that is pursuable.”
Welsh said health units are promoting shade policies “which is good News for us.”
Another issue, she said, is heritage trees.
Welsh said southwest Middlesex had a biggest tree contest in its area, and ended up making a heritage tree trail.
“We’re trying to pursue that with our grandest tree in Minto,” she said.
She also cited presentations the group heard about by Paul Day, of Trees for Mapleton.
Welsh said that group was able to qualify for a Trillium grant and has hired a full-time person to work with farmers and sets up planting strategies for farms. The group is planting wind shelters and shelter belts around river areas.
He’s holding driving shed meetings and farmers are coming to him, Welsh said of the person hired. She said that person deals with the grant applications and how the work gets done.
“All the farmer has to do is point out where he’d like the trees.”
Thompson said Wellington County also has the living snowfence program. He said in an area such as Minto, it would be a tremendous benefit “if we could talk some of the farmers into giving up some land for the living snowfence.”
He said farmers would be paid for the use of the land, and it is a win-win for everyone concerned.
Welsh added the living fence acts as a windbreak for the farm fields, even though it is a snowfence for the roads.
Thompson said he contacted Day about speaking to the Minto group directly.
Planting the trees is important in regards to the climate, and public education is important to get everyone on board, Thompson said.
He said one of the committee suggestions was to spend more time in pruning and trimming trees.
“I think if we can take care of some of our older trees, we won’t need to cut them down because of neglect. The other thing is, it is a liability issue for the town. We don’t have to worry about branches coming down and hitting them on the noggin.”
The next thing the group sought is council’s guidance regarding a tree bylaw and if it would affect just town property, or town and private properties. Thompson said the committee would like clarification from council and said the group had been hoping for immediate feedback.
“Well, you’re not going to get it,” Dirksen said.
She asked David Turton chairman of public works, if it is something that could be placed on that committee’s next agenda.
“I think that would be the best way to deal with it,” Dirksen said.
Thompson added, “Bylaws are great, but it is up to individuals to respect those bylaws and part of that is an education of the public. I think with what is happening in the environment, it should be quite obvious.”
