A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra.
CALL BEFORE YOU CUT
Your municipality may have passed bylaws that determine if you can remove a tree from your land or woodlot. These bylaws may include conditions that affect how you carry out the work, including the need for a qualified professional and/or a permit to complete the work.
Save yourself from costly fines or legal fees – talk to your municipality (ontario.ca/ab23) first before removing trees. In areas where there is an upper-tier municipality, you may need to talk to both the upper-tier and the lower-tier municipality.
The Municipal Act does not explicitly provide exemptions for agriculture. Municipalities, however, commonly include exemptions in their bylaws for horticultural operations, such as:
– commercial fruit and nut orchards;
– Christmas tree production;
– commercial tree nurseries; and
– commercial sugar bush and maple syrup operations.
Visit the Ontario Woodlot Association’s website for information (ontariowoodlot.com/information/legislation/intro-to-bylaws).
COMING EVENTS
Jan. 12 – Waterloo Wellington Maple Syrup Producers Information Day. Starts at 9am at the Elmira Lions Hall, 40 South St., W. Elmira, ON. Contact Fred Martin for more information 519-669-3753.
Jan. 20 – CompactionSmart – RIM Park in Waterloo at 2001 University Ave. E. Visit website for more information and to register: farmsmart conference.com/farmsmart-friday or call 1-877-424-1300.
Jan. 21 – FarmSmart 2017 – Rozanski Hall at the University of Guelph. Visit website for more information and to register farmsmart conference.com/farmsmart-2017intro/ or call 1-877-424-1300.
