LISTOWEL STUDENTS TRYING TO SAVE TREES

Listowel students have started a petition to protect trees and wildlife on a roughly 6 acre site that is proposed for residential development. The students and adult supporters have signed a petition to Perth County council aimed at leaving the naturalized area alone. This was reported in the Stratford Beacon Herald on Friday May 21, 2010 by Donal O'Connor. Letter writer Emily Qureshi, 12, said that cutting down another tree would be "committing a crime and you would rightfully belong in jail". Council defferred a decision on the subdivision proposal, agreeing more information on the trees is warranted. Councilor Bob McTavished asked whether the treed lot meets the definition of a woodlot in Perth County but received no definite answer. Dave Hanly, the county planning director, said North Perth had designated woodlots in the municipality some time ago but the site in question was not one of them. He advised council that preparation of a tree conservation plan could be made a condition for final approval fo the plan of subdivision. The Mayor said he felt something could be worked out. The issue will return to the county following a North Perth council meeting on June 14, 2010.
Redesignating the property from Industrial to Residential was earlier the subject of an Appeal to the Ontario Muncipal Board and was eventually withdrawn. An aerial photographof the property shows about half of it is covered with trees and bush. A public use trail runs just beyond the south property line. The area is many residential accept for the factory to the west.
There is also a an appeal of North Perth's By-Law No 2-2009, which the municipality has stated was just "Housekeeping" but in fact changes alot. Daivd Laidlaw has filed an appeal of section 76 which says THAT all woodlots that are between 1 hectare(2.47 acres) and 3.99 hectares(9.86acres) in size in the Wallace Ward and Elma Ward of the Municipality of North Perth shall be removed from the "Agricultural Zone(A) of by-law No 6-ZB-1999 and placed in the "Natural Environment Resources Zone Two(NRE2) of by-law No. 6-ZB-1999. NRE2 used to apply to woodlots 4 hectares or larger. The permitted uses are conservation,forestry,maple syrup production and existing recreational trails Mr Laidlaw does not feel that the rezoning of his property is appropriate and that the Municipality should not be able to tell him what he can do on his own land epspecially his woodlot. The hearing is scheduled for June 8, 2010 at the Municipal office at 11 am.