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Mastis' court-ordered replanting nears completion r4By Tim Foran tng a court-ordcred massive tree restoration plan. 1ýCANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF According In a Region staff report, George Vastis -65 at thse time of bis sentcncing in September, 2006 - completed a mas- t A Burlington man convicted of destroying 23 acres of envi- sive tree replanting program this past May that was included in 0 ronmentally-sensitive woodlands on his Milton property has the $1 22,000 restoration plan. >m"'fully co-operated" with Halton Region and is close te, complet- The plan included the planting of 2,500 seedlings per hectare z_______________ CD I410 BronIe Street South, Suite 201 2251 Weslsak Trails BIsd. IMILTON, ON 191 OH8 OAKVIILE, ON 16M 3P7 (905) 8754075 www.livingweilpilates.com (905) 847-0707 ý-11 - along with sbrubs and conifers, and the use of tree guards and mulch pads. Vastis also watered thc stock throughout the summer. A monitoring report prepared in August determined a 90 per cent success rate of the planting activities, according to, the Regional report. A replanting will take place this month to, replace the 10 per cent of dead nursery stock with new seedlings. Following a final assessment after the replanting, "Vastis will have fulfilled all his obligations under the court ordered restoration plan," states the report. However, though Vastis' responsibilities would be complete, the Region estimates it will have to, spend up to fiye years monitoring and tending to the replanted forest - with Vastis' permission, which it expeets to, receive - to ensure a minimum 80 per cent survival of thse young trees. The annual cost csf $5,000 to, $7,000 would be met through the Regionýs forestry management budget. Witbout such tending, which includes control of com- peting vegetation and replanting of dead trees, 50 to, 80 per cent of the replanted trees could die. Vastis and hus numbered company were convicted in April, 2006 of cutting trees in a woodlot and in an envi- ronmentally sensitive area, the Sixteen Mile Crck Výally, in April and JUIN, oi 2003, contran Io te li Thc judgc concluded thc clcarings wcrc to build a golf course, which Vastîs rcpcatcdlv dcnicd, sayîng it was for agricultural purposes. Vastis was fined $33,000 andl orclcred to compîcte thse restoratton plan. Thse property is 1n Milton ncar thse Oakville bordcr and lies south of Britannia Road andl north of Hwy. 407, between Regional Road 25 and Trafalgar Road. Tim Foran con be reached os tforan@îniltoncanalialt champion.com. -with files from Stephanie Hounsel Ivin we ilat