To the Editor,
Re: Company faces city fine for illegally clearing trees, Aug. 19.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around our newly adopted tree management bylaw.
Without trying to protect developers who think they are above the law, I would venture to say this property borders on swampy wetlands and the trees were not much to speak of anyways. The true crime was the developer did not have the blessing from the city environmental planner and removed the trees while his application for development was still pending. What would have happened had he waited? Would he have been told to plant three trees for each one removed? This is the case in some areas, but that only applies to ‘significant trees’ which have a diameter of two metres or more.
Now, I ask you to look at a Chase River property, a forest with hundreds of trees. The developer is applying for a subdivision application from the city and I’m sure he will wait until the application is approved so as not to receive any fines, but what about the trees and the forest? How does the protection of trees bylaw apply to this area? Will it protect real trees or is it all smoke and mirrors? Significant trees cannot be replaced with three skinny little ornamental trees a metre and a half high, nor should they be cut at all.
Tom and Toni BennettNanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Company faces city fine for illegally clearing trees, Aug. 19.
I have seen trees cut down during bird nesting time leaving broken eggs and baby birds all over the ground while the adults fly around hopelessly looking for what was home until man came along and destroyed it. I have seen and heard trees being cut down in the evening hours, which would give the impression something illegal is going on, and I have seen some beautiful trees cut down just because they were planted in the wrong place and are now too big and in the way. What a shame.
Trees clean our air. They provide shade, windbreaks around our houses and homes for wildlife. Yes, we can replant, but one small four-foot tree does not do nearly the job several 50-foot ones do. Without trees, our environment is less than it should be.
While it’s bad enough that so many of our trees are being cut down, those who do it illegally should pay heavily. The fines quoted are far too small.
Diana WalkerNanaimo