(File photo courtesy of © CanStockPhoto.com/Bialasiewicz)(File photo courtesy of © CanStockPhoto.com/Bialasiewicz)
Chatham

One million new trees a possibility for CK

Chatham-Kent is one step closer to becoming a little more green.

On Monday night, council unanimously voted in favour of a motion that asks municipal staff to prepare a report looking at ways to plant one million trees in Chatham-Kent within four years.

The motion also directs staff to identify public lands that could be used to support the initiative, look at ways other municipalities have implemented similar initiatives, identity any community partners that can help the municipality reach the one million tree goal and identify ways to incentivize landowners to plant and maintain tree cover.

Councillor Anthony Ceccacci, who was behind the motion, was initially hoping to get the report back later this month. However, he was informed by administration that a January 2020 date was a more feasible timeline to prepare it. After getting confirmation from conservation officials that this would still allow enough time to get the incentive running before tree planting season, Ceccacci accepted the January date.

"It's unfortunate that we have to wait until January but if that's what administration feels that they need and it still works with the timeframe of the 2020 planting season... then it was something that I would be happy to amend my motion for," he said.

As part of a balanced and healthy ecosystem, Ceccacci said his main goal with the initiative will be to make residents more aware of tree planting programs and incentives that are already available in Chatham-Kent.

“There’s a lot of people that are unaware that these programs already exist," he explained. "So what this is also doing is I want to shine a light on those programs and [see] how can we collaborate better to make people aware. This motion isn’t just to go out and plant a million trees. It’s also to revisit all those programs that are out there and how do we get more people active and engaged in it.”

In the days leading up to his motion going in front of council, Ceccacci said he received a lot of support from residents about it. On Monday night, local resident Louis Roesch gave a deputation on behalf of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Kent Federation of Agriculture in support of the motion and the benefits they say it will have for Chatham-Kent.

"We welcome and support the initiatives of planting windbreaks [and] reforestation of conservation owned lands and urban centers," said Roesch. "We also support the planting of trees on rural parcels too small for today's farming equipment."

Although it will take a few months to get more details and see if the goal of one million trees is possible, Ceccacci said he's looking forward to getting the report back early next year.

"I really hope this is something that we can put teeth [into], that we can actually create an action plan [and] we can work with our partners," he said. "I'm sure that in the future, were going to hear some good news stories coming out of this motion."

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