6 January 2009 www.NorthCountryBusinessNews.com
Landowners threaten to stop snowmobile access
Continued from FRONT left is a stand that does not more complicated than the old
snowmobile trails system in have the proper ability to one.
opposition to the proposed tree regenerate itself.” “It has gone from five pages
cutting bylaw. He adds that they will be to 40 pages – 40 pages of gob-
“This tree cutting bylaw is unable to look forward to the bledygook that nobody can
not a logging issue. This is a next monetary cycle in 15 understand,” she adds. “Just
private land issue, says Carey- years. take the old bylaw they have
Anne Oke-Cook who became “We were really over- now, and just tweak it, if need-
president of the organization’s whelmed and now I want to ed, so it can be enforced.”
inaugural Jan. 10 meeting. speak out and inform people. I While the new bylaw only
“In protest of the pending understand that it’s good for applies to properties of more
new tree bylaw, our landown- landowners to be able to do to than 10 acres, Madill says that
ers are absolutely prepared to their own land as they wish, is still an issue for many relat-
shut down the snowmobile but it is beneficial to have ed small businesses.
trails. They will close the some regulation in place,” he “It is ridiculous to make
existing snowmobile trails that explains. “We don’t want to be people jump through hoops
cross their property,” explains over regulated but the bylaw just so they can sell firewood
Cook, whose husband and doesn’t seem to be over regu- from their forest. As landown-
father-in-law operate G.Cook lated. The forest management ers, we feel we are the best
and Sons Logging. techniques and skill level stewards of our own proper-
Samantha Hastings, director required to do this properly is ty.”
of policy and programs for the high. Anyone can set them- She also adds that a forestry
District of Muskoka, says the selves up in a logging business management plan is not an
new District bylaw will only – there is no licence require- inexpensive process.
apply to property of at least 10 ment. I’m in favour of some “The forestry industry isn’t
acres. kind of control for this indus- booming now. The profits are
“If you are cutting on your try.” so slim that the extra costs are
own property for personal use, Not everyone is in support unacceptable,” says Madill.
the bylaw does not apply to of the proposed bylaw, howev- “It is just too difficult for
you,” she adds.
responding to comments from acres of property and recently program guidelines, including
er, and they voiced their con- landowners to work with and
This bylaw is to replace a
the community and logging had a bad experience. having a forest management
cern during an Ontario there was not enough input
2001 bylaw that can no longer
industry. “I think if a bylaw were in plan, can reduce a property
Landowners Association from the people who work
be enforced because of legisla-
“We need to make sure it place, my property would have owner’s tax by 75 per cent.
information meeting held at with it. It is done by lawyers
tion changes. The old bylaw
(the bylaw) is reasonable, eas- been red flagged or some- The plan helps owners to
the Bracebridge Legion on and people not in the industry.
took affect once a property
ily understood and not a com- thing,” Prosser says. “It may develop a long-term forestry
Jan. 10. We know selective harvesting
was more than 50 acres but
plicated process,” says Hast- have protected me as a plan for the property, taking
“I think there were about is good for the forest. We
this new draft has reduced it
ings. landowner.” into account the impact on the
100 people there – mainly know what we are doing. We
down to 10 acres.
Scott Prosser is a landowner He is involved in the Man- environment.
landowners but also some don’t cut down every tree. We
District staff have been
who is in favour of the bylaw. aged Forest Tax Incentive Plan “We had a certain portion
forestry operators,” says Deb- have great respect for the for-
making changes to the draft,
He and his partner own 800 program which, by following logged as per MFTIP guide-
orah Madill of S.W. Madill est.”
lines in 2005 and it was done
Forestry Ltd. “The consensus But proponents of the bylaw
very well,” he explains.
was no to the tree-cutting point to other areas around
However, he and his partner
bylaw.” Muskoka that do have bylaws
received calls for months by
As a forestry company, in place similar to the one pro-
COMMERCIAL
loggers looking to harvest the
Madill has grave concerns posed here.
land and hired someone who
about the bylaw which she “Everyone south of us has a
deviated from their forest
calls a “terrible hindrance” to tree bylaw,” explains Mike
management plan. Unfortu-
the company’s ability to do Walsh, Parry Sound Muskoka
nately, the property was high
business. Stewardship co-ordinator.
graded, meaning the most
“It will be more expensive “Even Armour and Powasson,
highly valued wood was
and take longer to do every- to the north, have them. We are
removed.
thing,” she says. “We can’t the gap on the map, without a
“There was tremendous
even make an offer to the own- tree bylaw, and the logging
destructive damage and por-
er until the District lets us companies see the map. To
tions of our property have
know what we can cut. leave Muskoka off the map is
been removed from the
Her biggest concern is that to invite logging industry.”
MFTIP plan. What you have
the new bylaw is so much Tony Armstrong of Musko-
Offices, clinics or vacation lodges
ka Land Stewards believes the
We’re on time and on budget,
bylaw is a good thing for the
forestry industry. He is aproducing functional buildings
forestry technician and the
with great curb appeal!
DAVEY
third generation of his family
working in the industry.
Tree & Shrub Pruning & Fertilization
“Without the bylaw, guys
Insect & Disease Management like me, we won’t have any
bush to cut. In the long term,
RESIDENTIAL
Cabling & Bracing
Removals Hazardous Tree Assessment
there will be nothing left,” he
Commercial Tree Care
says.
As a landowner, he recog-
705-689-8389
nizes people don’t like to be
told what to do with their land
www.davey.com
but also realizes some
YOUR ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDER landowners don’t recognize
the value of their property.
“In Muskoka, unlike other
areas, we have so many absen-
tee landlords with huge tracts
of land. Grandpa owned it and
left it to the family. Someone
offers them $10,000 to harvest
YOUR PLAN OR OURS
Amy Opavsky Reg’d Massage Therapist Laser Therapist
it and 100 years worth of for-
est is destroyed. The owner
YOUR LAND OR OURS
Linda Montgomery Laser Therapist
leaves on Sunday night and the
SEE OUR MODEL HOMES
Tanya Hedley Holistic Health Practitioner
next weekend the forest is
Call 788-3141 or VISIT 41 HOMESTEAD LANE, HUNTSVILLE
gone. With the new District
Call 645-6717 or VISIT 3 STONEHENGE COURT, BRACEBRDIGE
(705) 645-6003
bylaw, these messes won’t
126 Greer Road www.homesmuskoka.com
happen.”
Port Sydney, ON P0B 1L0 bfrench@homesmuskoka.com 385-2311 Call 9 Ann St., Unit B, Bracebridge P1L 1S3
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