Some complaints regarding the clear-cutting of trees in Chatham-Kent have led to an investigation by the municipality.
The municipality said it has received complaints that woodlots in East Kent are being cleared, contrary to the municipality’s temporary bylaw that bans tree cutting in woodlots and woodlands. Chatham-Kent Director of Building Development Services (BDS) Paul Lacina said bylaw enforcement officers are looking into the matter.
“BDS can confirm that these latest allegations of clear cutting at the end of last week have been reported to the Municipality and By-law Enforcement staff are investigating these matters further. As these are active investigations, further public comments cannot be made at this time,” said Lacina.
Council adopted a temporary clear-cutting bylaw on April 26, 2021 and the bylaw has been extended until April 30, 2022. Several reported incidents have been investigated since the bylaw was originally passed nine months ago, but no charges have been laid to date, according to the municipality.
The municipality said the Building Development Services department has also worked with several woodlot management companies to ensure that any proposed work would not violate the bylaw before the work began.
The Temporary Clear-Cutting Bylaw allows for some trees to be cut but not all or most of the trees. The municipality warns property owners to carefully follow the terms of the bylaw and not remove more trees than are permitted. For example, access routes through a woodlot or woodland that require tree removal count towards the total amount of trees removed.
"Property owners are cautioned that enforcement officers will look at the totality of the cutting performed to determine if there has been an offence," said the municipality. "Owners should not try to find a loophole by performing a series of cuts to attempt to avoid application of the bylaw."
Property owners are also cautioned that this bylaw is just one law to consider and there may also be provincial or federal laws, such as species at risk, that can apply to a particular woodlot or woodland.
Those convicted of contravening the Temporary Clear-Cutting Bylaw can face a fine up to $100,000 and may be ordered to rehabilitate the land or to plant or replant trees as directed by the court.
The public can contact Building Development Services at 519-360-1998, extension 3242 or email shellyb@chatham-kent.ca to report an incident or for any inquiries on the bylaw.
Anyone intending to perform selective harvesting of trees is also encouraged to contact the municipality before starting the work.