~ 34 ACRES CLEAR-CUT
It is estimated that the number of trees per acre in a natural forest would lie between 200 and 300. Thus the number of trees that will be clear-cut is estimated to lie between 6,000 and 10,000.
In a recent article RICK CRAVEN (Ward One Councillor) wrote: "Congratulations and thanks to IKEA and "Tree Canada" for their recent initiative in Kerns Park. Over 60 IKEA volunteers planted about 300 new trees in the park."
Of course planting saplings is just one of many essential environmental initiatives that are necessary to keep Burlington a pristine and healthy place to live, work, and play. With the phenomenal development that is taking place both in the downtown area and in and other areas across the City, with the noticeable increase in traffic and accompanying pollution, and with the diminishing green space every tree we plant will eventually play an important part in protecting our future and our children’s future.
BUT we also need to deal with ‘the here and now’
In the light of your support for the “Tree Canada” project we would also respectfully point out that just as important as the planting of saplings (for the future generation) is the saving of those trees that have already been planted and have survived all the elements both man-made and natural - trees that are now enormous contributors to our clean air, healthy lifestyle (for the current generation), and our overall well-being.
All too often we permit the cutting down of these trees and are oblivious to the fact that they are an integral part of our life and that to reach their level of maturity and ‘giving’ took a long, long time.
The necessity of planting new trees and the great work the volunteer residents of Burlington are doing should not be underestimated but we are sure that you would also agree with us that it would be equally important to protect our current 'assets' - for example, the estimated 6,000 to 10,000 trees in North Aldershot / Tyandaga that are planned to be clear cut in the Fall of 2016 by the quarry owner Forterra (formerly Hanson Brick) would take many people many months to plant and it would take a lifetime for the saplings (if they survive) to reach the level of giving that only a mature, established, and healthy tree can provide.