The municipalities of Clarington and Port Hope, with the assistance of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, are running the “Trees for Rural Roads” program again this year.
The program offers trees, free of charge to Clarington and Port Hope residents, to be planted on private land along municipal roads. Native sugar and red maples will be available, along with white pine, white spruce, white birch, and red and white oak.
In 1871, the Ontario Government passed legislation encouraging the planting of trees along highways. Municipalities paid landowners up to 25 cents per tree for trees planted along the roads.
The majority of the trees planted during this time were native maples, resulting in a common sight on the rural landscape: lines of stately maples alongside roads and separating farmers’ fields.
These trees, now over a century old, are succumbing to old age, exposure to wind, insects, and disease.
First developed in 2012, the “Trees for Rural Roads” program aims to restore trees along roadsides, thereby maintaining this important part of the rural landscape.
In 2017, 688 trees were distributed and planted along municipal roads on private land in Clarington. The deadline to apply for this year’s program is March 31, 2018.
If you are a resident of Port Hope or Clarington and are interested in participating in the roadside tree planting program, contact Kelly Gibson, Interim Stewardship Technician at the the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, at kgibson@grca.on.ca or at 905-885-8173.
