HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-02-25, Page 30PAGE 30. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016.
Ferocious!
As part of the circus -themed talent showcase the Brussels
Skating Club held on Feb. 18, some of the younger skaters
released their inner beast and dressed as lions under the
tutelage of their lion taming instructors. From left are Brielle
Campbell, Callum Stamden and Ashton Baxter. (Denny Scott
photo)
Good forestry on
the rise says Pullen
Dave Pullen, Huron County's
forest conversation officer, was in
Goderich to update county council
on his work in recent years and he
says things seem to be improving.
At council's Feb. 17 committee of
the whole meeting, Pullen told
councillors that it had been a
number of years since he had last
presented before council, so he felt it
was time for an update.
In a chart he provided to council,
Pullen said that good forestry
practices are dramatically on the rise
over the last five years.
In 2011, good forestry practices
represented only 19 per cent of
harvests in Huron County, compared
to 81 per cent diameter -limit
harvest. Those good forestry
practices numbers have steadily
been on the rise. Last year, good
forestry practices represented 49 per
cent of the harvest, compared to 51
per cent of diameter -limit harvest.
Pullen says that it is encouraging
to see good forestry practices on the
rise after the county had taken
significant steps to assist county
woodlot owners to expand use of
such practices.
Through various avenues, Pullen
said, the county had provided
financial incentives and assistance to
woodlot owners to seek out
professional advice.
It is also encouraging to note,
Pullen said, that the Huron -Perth
chapter of the Ontario Woodlot
Association is the biggest in the
province. That fact also reaffirms, he
said, the importance of using good
forestry practices in an area where
tree cover is so important for so
many reasons.
Providing tree cover throughout
the county has been a great
investment in the county, Pullen
said, for everything from water
quality to agriculture.
He has also seen a jump in
awareness in the program as a result
of forestry services becoming a key
component of the Huron County
website, opening the department up
to a whole new group of potential
customers.
Also as part of his presentation,
Pullen detailed his work over the
course of the last five years. The vast
majority of his time is spent working
with notice of intent applications,
which has been a proactive approach
to harvesting trees, he said.
In 2015, for example, he helped to
draft 193 notice of intent
applications and responded to 120
extension and outreach inquiries
compared to only two cases of
pressing charges for bylaw
violations.
Unfortunately, he said, charges
and bylaw violations are what tend
to make news, while the majority of
the department's work is proactive
and good for the community.
In terms of charges, Pullen
presented the details of four cases
that have been settled since his last
report to council, which was in
February, 2014.
A case in Bluewater resulted in a
$750 fine and an agreement to
replant trees, while a case in Morris-
Turnberry resulted in a fine of $500
and an agreement to reforest a
portion of the area. In 2013, charges
were laid in an Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh case that resulted in a
$500 charge and a second case in
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh is
currently being appealed.
There are also a number of court
cases that are still underway, Pullen
said.
Council received Pullen's report
and thanked him for his excellent
work in the field.
County contributes ,50,000,
demands answers from SWIFT
Continued from page 1
there have been "trust issues" with
SWIFT and that "last mile"
connectivity is not a priority for the
organization as it is for Huron.
North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent
expressed concern, citing his own
research into a similar program
carried out in eastern Ontario.
Vincent said he's been following
the process and speaking to wardens
from the eastern end of the province
who have said the only winners in
the process have been large-scale
internet providers and not residents.
Watt said he had conducted
similar research and that Vincent's
thoughts were accurate.
Huron County Warden Paul
Gowing also brought forward some
information councillors didn't like.
At the annual general meeting of
the Western Ontario Wardens'
Caucus — the body carrying out
SWIFT — Gowing was approached
before the meeting even started, he
said. He was asked why Huron
County had yet to "pay its bill" to
SWIFT and a request was also made
that Watt be replaced as the county's
representative.
Council had yet to contribute any
funds, Gowing said, because the
county is not yet on -side with the
project. So he was taken aback by
the suggestion that the county was in
arrears.
He also reiterated the county's
support of Watt, saying that his
knowledge in the field and
willingness to ask tough questions
was exactly why he was asked to
represent the county on the
committee.
Gowing told councillors that as of
2016, the county is, according to
SWIFT, $80,000 behind in payments
that would then put Huron back "in
good standing" with the
organization.
Gowing also stated that he felt
$80,000 would simply be the tip of
the iceberg and that the investment
would be closer to $1 million before
all is said and done.
He also said he felt that because of
the strong internet infrastructure
already present in Huron County,
they were being "put on the back
burner."
While Watt agreed with Gowing,
Watt said Gowing's view was the
most pessimistic, saying there is
certainly an optimistic view of the
procedure that could be taken.
Chief Administrative Officer
Brenda Orchard said that the
county's 22 questions are not new
and that SWIFT has had them to
answer for three years.
Goderich Mayor Kevin Morrison
said that he didn't like where the
SWIFT process was going at all and
made a motion to officially cut ties
from the organization; a motion
which was seconded by Huron East
Deputy -Mayor Joe Steffler.
With the motion on the floor,
however, a number of councillors
said they were not ready to "cut
bait" just yet. With the funding
figures laid out by Watt, several
councillors felt it was simply too
early to walk away from such
potential. This also aligned with
Watt's recommendation that it was
too early to make a decision.
Councillors defeated the motion
and then made a motion to pay
$50,000 to SWIFT, which would
bring them up to date (with the
exception of the $30,000 requested
for 2016) and to demand answers
from SWIFT to its 22 questions
submitted over three years ago.
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn
said he felt it was important to
"judge ideas, not personalities" in
this case. If council doesn't like the
people presenting the SWIFT
initiative, those faces could change,
but if the idea has merit, council
owes it to ratepayers to stay
invested.
He said he just wasn't prepared to
walk away from a seven -cents -on -
the -dollar investment opportunity.
Council approved the motion,
authorizing the payment of $50,000
to SWIFT and therefore staying in
the process.
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