Amid plans to plant 125,000 trees, Essex authority says new law means red tape for green plan

The Essex Region Conservation Authority has announced plans to plant 125,000 trees this spring, but the organization has concerns about what new provincial legislation will mean to the program in the future.

Under changes tothe Conservation Authorities Act that were introduced last fall,tree planting would become a "non-core" activity, meaning conservation authorities can'tlevy municipalities to undertake the activity on private property.

While the authorities are waiting to see the regulations flowingfrom the updated law, ERCA officialsare concerned thatto continue the tree-planting program after this year, it will need to enter into separateagreements with each municipality within theregion.

"It increases red tape at the local level," ERCA chief administrative officer Tim Byrne said onCBC Radio's Afternoon Drive on Thursday.

ERCAsaidtreeplanting restores habitat and wildlife corridors, along with helping tackle climate change.

The authority plansto reforest over 60 hectaresof land by planting and distributing the trees across the watersheds of the region.

"The project that we're completing out in Harrow actually reconnects twosubstantial wooded features to a wetland," Byrne said in reference to one of the areas that will see reforestation. "Right now, that habitat is fragmented and separated."

According to ERCA,8.5 per centof the land in Essex Region is in a natural state, below the minimum12 per cent identified bythe United Nations as a target for sustainability.