One could say this township has it made it the shade, thanks to partners involved in a local tree-planting initiative.
Since the launch of Trees for Peel in 2001, over 330,000 trees have been planted in the township through the initiative that became known as Trees for Mapleton in 2008.
That’s $785,000 worth of tree planting, forestry specialist Mark Funk told Mapleton council during a Feb. 10 update on the program.
That represents “more tree-planting projects in Mapleton than in all of the other six Wellington (municipalities) combined,” said Funk, noting the accomplishment “speaks to the leadership in Mapleton.”
The planning includes over 100 kilometres of windbreaks, more than 15km of farmstead shelterbelts and 21km of trees along watercourses, as well as numerous “living snow fences” planted by landowners in cooperation with the Wellington County roads department. The totals also include some “block plantings” on marginal land, Funk added.
Over the years, funding for the projects has been received from various sources, said Funk, including $133,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and a $100,000 commitment ($20,000 a year for five years beginning in 2013) from NextEra Energy Canada.
Wellington County provides most of the funding for plantings through its Rural Water Quality Program (RWQP) and the Grand River Conservation Authority also provides staff and resources.
Funk noted the money from NextEra allowed Trees for Mapleton to set up a fund to provide grants for planting on non-farm rural properties.
“We realized we had a lot of three- to 10-acre properties and there was no grants for them,” he explained.
In addition to providing on-site advisory services to help plan private-land tree planting projects, Trees for Mapleton helps landowners access 80 per cent of planting costs through the Wellington RWQP, Trees Ontario and the Mapleton Rural Non-Farm program.
The partnership also coordinates the planting of trees through GRCA.
Trees for Mapleton has 13 projects planned for this spring, Funk noted.
“Trees and tree planting are becoming part of the culture of this township and, I believe, could be used as part of the branding of this township,” said Trees for Mapleton chair Liz Samis.
Councillor Marlene Ottens asked if the level of tree cover in Mapleton is considered low compared to other municipalities.
Funk replied that with 10 to 13% tree cover, Mapleton is “definitely not the lowest.”
However, noted Samis, “we’re not at the 30% that some government agencies feel we should be at.”
Funk noted that level of tree cover isn’t practical in a community with prime agricultural land like Mapleton.
Mayor Neil Driscoll said Mapleton should set targets and implement policies to encourage tree planting.
“I’d like to see it up to a million trees. Lets give ourselves a goal,” said Driscoll.
“I’d like to thank you for what you do for our community,” he told the Trees for Mapleton delegates.
