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Tree cutting along the lakeshore has council and staff fuming Parks and recreation supervisor Mike Fair told Huron-Kinloss council at its October 1 meeting in Ripley that illegal tree cutting along Boiler Beach Road has become a problem, asking for those caught destroying trees on public property be pursued to the fullest extent of the law “We have noticed a significant amount of tree trimming / cutting along the West side of Boiler Beach Road on the Municipal Road Allowance and the MNR shoreline,” he said. “Residents have either trimmed trees up from the bottom or cut them off the top for no other purpose than to get a better view of the lake.” Fair told council that, the damage to the trees has been so extensive recently that the shore road during winter storms is not the safe haven for traffic it once was. The protection from the winds and snow has been removed in several areas. “We are replacing the windbreaks this fall at significant costs,” he said, ”However, I am not sure that it will be helpful as a windbreak if the local residents continue to cut the trees off or trim them up from the ground.” “If a resident is caught trimming up or trimming off trees on Township Property without permission our only recourse is to charge the person with Trespassing, and take them to court to pay for the restoration of the property.” Township staff planted seedlings along the Boiler Beach west side Road allowance and many trees were cut by lawn mowers of residents from across the road. Residents have been cutting from the road allowance down to the Dune grasses on the beach. ‘We have included the no cutting and trimming of trees message in our bulletins in the past,” he said. “I recommend that only Township staff cut grass or Trim trees along the west side of Boiler Beach Road, which will promote the restoration of Boiler Beach Road in Huron-Kinloss, and further that By-Law Enforcement not issue warnings, but proceed to the fullest extent of the law. Council agreed that the tree cutting must stop and will look into more options to stop the destruction of the township’s trees and lakeshore areas. |
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