KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
Some area farmers are considering taking legal action after Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry united counties planted trees along long sections of county roads.
Duncan Ferguson, President of the Glengarry Federation of Agriculture (GFA), led a delegation of farmers and landowners at the recent South Glengarry Council meeting to complain about what farmers call the unauthorized tree planting along county roads near Martintown and St. Andrews.
While the GFA acknowledges the importance of expanding the tree canopy in SDG Counties, it questions the lack of notification or consultation with landowners. “There is a place for trees and a place for crops,” said Ferguson.
The GFA contacted SDG Counties Forestry Coordinator, Philip Duncan, to ask for information on the planting and why the landowners did not receive any notice of the work. According to the delegation, staff at SDG said that since there had been little response to other, previous notifications, the decision was made to skip letting landowners know the trees were going to be planted. Additionally, neither South Glengarry Township staff nor Council members, were made aware of the project and its purpose.
The delegation said had farmers been given the opportunity to consult on the tree planting project, a mutually beneficial solution would have been found. Instead, the farmers are now dealing with trees planted within three or four feet from their crops – with some fields still to be harvested. Manoeuvring their combines around the trees so close to the field edge could prove challenging. In addition, the trees were planted along the fibre optic cables recently installed to improve cell service across the province. Will the maturing tree roots penetrate the casing for the cables and effect cell service in the area?
Farmers are concerned about the effect the trees will have on their fields as they grow. The tree roots could negatively affect the tile drainage in the fields, which costs farmers up to $2,000 per acre to install. Further, as these trees mature, they will have significant effect on the crop yield due to shade from the branches and the influence on soil moisture. The result will force an economic loss for farmers who already face many challenges. Ferguson questioned who will bear the cost to maintain the trees as they grow and encroach even further onto fields. And lastly, who will pay for repairs to the tile drainage and farm equipment damaged by roots and tree branches?
South Glengarry Council sympathized with the farmers. Councillor Sam McDonell claimed the actions of some SDG Counties staff were not neighbourly and were downright unacceptable. Councillor Trevor Bougie said that the situation needed to be made right for the farmers and landowners. Council unanimously passed a resolution to request a pause in the tree planting until further discussions can be held, and landowners suitably consulted on the purpose of the project.
Here is the response from the counties: “SDG Counties implemented a roadside tree-planting program more than 60 years ago. In 2025, more than 2,200 trees are expected to be planted in our right-of-way all across SDG Counties. While the road-side tree planting program serves multiple purposes, its primary function is for the creation of a natural barrier that limits drifting snow and makes travelling safer through the winter months. Additionally, the trees also help to provide a natural delineation, identifying the approximate location of the property line between private and public right-of-way. The width of the public right-of-way varies by location but trees have never been planted on private property and are typically setback to allow for future growth of the tree. In the more than six decades that municipal tree planting has been in place, SDG Counties has received universal support for a program that is environmental in nature, adds to the safety of our region and remains solely on SDG Counties property.”
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