Trees, not Trucks: Fighting to Protect Simcoe County Forests From Industrialization

News release from Friends of Simcoe County Forests

Friends of Simcoe County Forests is calling on Simcoe County to stand behind their twenty-year vision for the municipal forests and stop their plan to permanently destroy the Freele Tract. Nowhere in Council’s twenty-year forestry management plan ‘Simcoe County Forests 2011-2030’ is there discussion of taking a tract of County Forest for the purposes of creating waste management infrastructure or to destroy any section of forest for any other industrial or infrastructure purpose.

Simcoe County Forests has a proud history that dates back more than 100 years. What began as an e ort to ‘rehabilitate wastelands’ in the early 1900’s apparently is about to devolve into turning one of these tracts back into a wasteland, as home to Council’s unnecessary, multi-million dollar organics facility.

‘The policy of putting these lands under forest management has many arguments in its favour. It will pay as a nancial investment; assist in insuring a wood supply; protect the headwaters of streams; provide breeding ground for wild game; provide object lessons in forestry; and prevent citizens from developing under conditions which can end only in failure’.[1] – Final Paragraph of E.J. Zavitz, the Provincial Forester’s 1909 report titled “Reforestation of Waste Lands in Southern Ontario”, which led to the creation and protection of Simcoe County Forests.

Even the County acknowledges this history on their own website where they say the Simcoe County Forests were “established to rehabilitate ‘wastelands’, these forests provide a multitude of environmental, social, and economic bene ts to the County including protection of wildlife habitat and water resources, public education, recreation, scientic research and the production of wood products.”[2]

“Reading this, it appears that Council has decided that 2016 is the year they ought to renege on over a century of proud history and begin the process of returning county forests to literally wastelands, by dumping household waste in them,” said Karen White, a Simcoe County community member.

“What is most stunning about this decision to create new wastelands is the fact that there were a number of industrial sites available for consideration that were rejected for reasons less signicant than a more than 100-year track record of doing the right thing.” White added.

Friends of Simcoe Forests are calling on County Councillors to stand by their forestry management plan and stop this awed approval process that has favoured land people have known better to develop for more than 100 years. [1] Link to Council’s 2011-2030 Forestry Plan  (quote on Page 4) [2] Link to Council’s Forestry Page

The Friends of Simcoe Forests Inc. is a Non-Pro t organization consisting of concerned citizens within the region of Simcoe County, Ontario.

Our long term goal is to inform and unite all persons interested in the conservation of our County’s forests. We encourage all local residents, visitors and friends of our environment to realize that they have the ability to enjoy the natural ora and fauna of the region, as well as the natural beauties of the forests within Simcoe County. As a group we encourage beauti cation, preservation, and extension of parks and Green Belts.

Through our mutual love and concern for the county’s forests, we strive to make available all known statistical, scientic, horticultural and botanical information that positively impacts the future of our forests.

It is our goal to promote the protection and appreciation of the environment and lands which are there for all of us and future generations to use and enjoy.