,
8 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
What I find strange about
@fordnation
eliminating 50 Million Tree program is that it’s exactly type of land stewardship program conservatives should like as it supports volunteer action by landowners rather than impose regulatory req. to plant trees on private property #WINWIN
@fordnation
eliminating 50 Million Tree program is that it’s exactly type of land stewardship program conservatives should like as it supports volunteer action by landowners rather than impose regulatory req. to plant trees on private property #WINWIN
The PR folks in Premier's Office are claiming that tree planting by the Forest Industry (which is a legal requirement and mostly happens in northern Ontario to reforest logged areas) some how makes up for the elimination of tree planting programs in southern Ontario. It doesn't.
Firstly, the Forest Industry is legally required to re-establish forests on crown lands that they log through tree-planting or other means. 95 % of lands in southern Ontario are privately owned and reforestation regulations don't apply.
2/ It's not just about differences in policy that apply to different parts of the province, it's #commonsense. The benefits of trees are felt locally by residents (increased shade, higher property values, habitat for songbirds, cleaner air etc).
3/ Similarly, the consequences of not having trees are felt locally as well and they can be serious for residents. They include higher risks of flooding, soil erosion, poorer air quality, exposure to extreme heat - and lower property values.
4/ So when Ontario's Minister of Forests @JYakabuskiMPP tries to justify the elimination of tree planting programs in southern Ontario with the excuse that the Forest Industry is doing the job without government support - this is pure PR spin to distract and confuse people.
5/ Planting tree seedlings in a clearcut north of Thunder Bay is important for ecological recovery, proper management and sustainability of Forest Industry, but it will not benefit communities in southern Ontario that lack trees. Trees can't get up and walk 500 km south Minister 
