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2-The Canadian Champion, Friday, May 2, 2003 ,Towns, conservation authority probe tree-cutting By JASON MISNER t ,to5 o lst op tatssyct satys iic o CtlI ktt(t' ttn tt o01t tii e weeks whether charges will he laid againflt a company that cut down trees in an environmenfally-sensitive woodlot bordering Milton and Oakville. Dave Meneray said the Region, the towns of Milton and Oakville and Conservation Halton are working together f0 find ouf if a crime was committed and if so, what the charges will be. "We're taking this very seriously," Mr. Meneray told counicillors at the Region's planning and public works commiftcc meeting Wednesday. "We helieve wc have a very gond legal foundation for pursuing this. Staff is giving thîs top prinrity." He also said regional staff are consultsng with lawyers from Newm-rket- who last month laid 332 charges againsi a compa- ny for allegedly clearing trees. TOYOTA Bi Ie SALES 3' T 'f/i' 9'JSecurity Deposit on ail Leases!! Lease Rteis on termo of 24 f0r 48 months. See Milton Toyota for details. Came l.uMd tost drive an aWwd wlMhIg Toyota Md enter sur iraw for a charn@ te win $25,00011 0 0400 Steeles Avenue (n.xt to Gomiud"s Auto GrOUP) oddeAtiae 905 875-1700 wwwmiltontoyota.com ForMf 0 u ncue n s Bsdo 0 s m as 5.200aia rCa a fa 2TirsosI ï.aie1 $et 5 9%9 dM rK3EA o ainetMo fa$.S51 t332 $,7 o Cro s atnt a I denO M er at s M o n S a runn f ssMa,(lSfo M ,5309 Koaf tno tt t M C a f o KM 12 0 M OKliMS edtl C11 45en (o B3MBo r BREPB,,~îef Dl$405,$525,$1W $8,00iO 92 5 2 925Fnsxeas ple$20r 9M %/4 num ec aa 56330459 9/98 52 n ol u 66e 0 ? dd4nlK hagn ûý1ft otl o b920,s of et ras p (msc ta sec Toyot a 0Mo atssCor ls54 t o r oth it ws 5', ttst,}',','t,' 1 tfo '. r s , çi,i'So ' des1toytng s luoblc bttd habitt the rcecss. A tnajortiy olf the area in question falîs on Milton property. The property is registered to a numhercd company, which liots George and Helen Vastis of Burlington as directors. The couple has refused to comment. The area has heen regionally designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), But if's zoned agricultural. That means a land owner whose property is zoned agricuhtural can legally alter their property if ius for the purposes of farming. That's why a pivotaI part of the investigation in the next couple of weeks will be trying f0 defermine what the infent of the cutting was. Town of Oakvillc lawyer Doug Gates said carlier this week the frees look to have heen knocked down to make way for a golf coturse. But no permit for construction of any sort was applied for or granted for this property, known as 4237 Fouith Line. Charges could rie laid by the Region and Oakville under their tree-culting bylaws. Under the Oakville hylaw, the fine is a maxi- mum of $ 1 0000; under the Region's it's $5,000. Milton doesn't have a tree-cutting hylaw. But Mr. Meneray said Milton, if if chooses, could pursue charges under ifs site alteration bylaw, which looks at things like the disruption of drainage. 'he maximum fine is $5,000. Also, Mr. Meneray said he's considering pursuing fines under Ontario law, which are more stiff than those at the municipal or regional level. The Region is considering laying charges under Ontario's Forestry Act, which canes a maximum fine of $20.000, he said."We wanf to make a strong statement, if there's a basis fo lay charges." Oakville Councillor Allan Elgar rented a plane last week to take aerial photos of the site f0 get a betier idea of whaî happened. He said what's critical this summer is getfing a Regional OfficiaI Plan - thie blueprint for growth in a municipality - revised and passed that will hetter proteet environmentally-sensitive woodlots in the future. As part of the review, thousands of acres of agricultural lands in Halton could rie reclassified as greenlands, giving those areas stronger environmental protection, he said. "We have to have this put in and we wanfto have if put in now," Mr. Elgar said. The new Off iciai Plan could rie passed by thie end of June. Ward I Milton Councillor Brian Penman and pasf chair of Conservation Ballon said thie entire situation is sickenmng. "Tbis isn't just any forest, if's an environmentally- sensitive area and an area of natural and scientifie interest." -- With files front Kim Arnott, special to The Champion and Step/tanie Thiessen, Thte Champion. ~t/Z~'?~.Ck -Ç80 Re.g. '90 Specwd 7 7 Reg 187 R.g. '79 This aerial shot taken by Oakville Councillor Allan Elgar shows a pattern in tree cutting. r' ïl m