Sir: While our city mothers and fathers worry about whether or not to reduce the clear cutting of trees, this valuable resource continues to be lost to future generations. I was shocked to read in The Voice that, “It’s open season on C-K woodlots until April 1, 2014.”
Trees are important. Very important. I think everybody agrees with that.
When we lived in Elliot Lake in northern Ontario, where there are more trees than people. I planted 39 trees on my property, all of them rescued from the bush, and 24 trees that I purchased from a nursery.
In the 1980s, as editor of the Stoney Creek News, I participated in that city’s annual Canada Flag Day parade, which takes place a month before the more traditional Canada Day and honours our famous maple leaf flag. We obtained hundreds of maple tree seedlings from Trees Ontario and gave then out to the crowds lining the parade route.
I even blush to admit there was once a photo of one of my reporters and me hugging a tree in Maclean’s Magazine in a story about the Stoney Creek News leading a citizens’ fight against a toxic dump.
Because trees are so important, the non-profit Ontario Trees has planted many millions on rural privately owned properties across Ontario. The goal is to plant 10 million trees a year by 2015. Trees Ontario tells us that in order to achieve 30% forest cover and a healthy ecosystem, we need to plant more than a billion more trees.
Let’s think of the future while we still have a few trees left in Chatham-Kent.
Stephen J. Beecroft
Chatham
