KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
Local journalism initiative reporter
Protests from farmers have prompted Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry united counties council to suspend a controversial tree planting program.
Duncan Ferguson, President of the Glengarry Federation of Agriculture (GFA), outlined concerns at a recent SDG council meeting.
In the Fall of 2025, property owners were surprised to see that young trees had been planted along fields bordering county roads. The property owners, mostly farmers, said they had not been notified of the plantings, which are very close to the edge of the fields. While small, the trees do not pose a hazard to sight lines for entrances to fields or driveways, but once the trees start to grow, their position could interfere with views.
Roads department tries to cut down on drifts
Cameron Harper, Director of Transportation Services for SDG, said the Counties’ road patrol supervisors, with close to 100 combined years of experience, identified strategic areas that were of concern for winter driving hazards. By planting a living fence, the Counties feel that the trees will block snow preventing drifts from building up on roadways. The Counties have been planting trees on the far side of roadway ditches, one metre from the property line and away from roadside signage or ditches.
Most guidelines suggest the trees be placed at least 60 metres from the road so that the drifting snow is dumped in the space between the trees and the road. In addition, the Arbor Day Foundation suggests using an additional row of trees or shrubs to have even more positive effect in blocking the snow from drifting onto the road. These guidelines for distances from roads would require the trees to be planted on private land along the roadways, well into the fields.
SDG has chosen the Norway Spruce for the living fence, which will mature 40-60 feet tall and 25-30 feet wide, and is often chosen as a windbreak for larger landscapes.
Encroachment
Ferguson pointed out the trees will Encroach upon farmers’ growing space and cause a loss of income. SDG staff and council members have suggested some property owners have stretched the property line allowance and actually planted crops on public property. Questions arise about who will maintain the trees and if invasive weeds will still be controlled, without affecting the planted crops.
Ferguson requested SDG establish an agriculture advisory committee address concerns of farmers and suggested the Counties look at other municipalities’ policies.
Farmers fear trees will eat into profits
Grey County, in Southwestern Ontario, has an established living snow fence program where the municipality covers the cost of planting and maintaining the trees in high priority areas. Grey County works with landowners in these areas, partnering to decide where and how many trees can be planted. As was suggested at a Committee of the Whole meeting, rows of corn can serve as an alternative to trees. In Grey County, farmers are compensated fair market value of the crop remaining in the field for the winter.
For now, SDG councillors seem to agree that the best course of action is to pause the tree planting program. While this might forfeit bulk purchase opportunities for trees in early spring, it gives the chance for more open dialogue and collaboration between landowners, farmers and the Counties.
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