South Nation Conservation Spruces Up County Roads
With support from the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG), South Nation Conservation (SNC) planted over 400 native trees and shrubs alongside County roads in North Dundas and North Stormont last month.
SNC delivers the Roadside Tree Planting Program on behalf of the SDG Counties and is responsible for ordering stock, planting, maintenance, refilling and monitoring these sites until they can grow on their own. New sites are selected by SNC and County staff every year.
According to Cheyene Brunet, SNC Forestry Technician, trees planted along County roads offer several benefits: “They absorb and filter roadside runoff, serve as natural windbreaks and snow fences, provide habitat and food for wildlife and pollinators, and reduce noise pollution,” she explained.
Enhancing roadside tree planting across Eastern Ontario is just one of the many ways SNC is working with its municipal partners to improve local forest cover.
Since 2010, thousands of trees have been planted across 37 sites in SDG through the partnership program. In 2019, SNC undertook a pilot roadside tree planting project in partnership with the United Counties of Prescott and Russell which saw over 250 potted stock trees get planted along Highway 17 west of Hawkesbury.
SNC also works with local property owners by offering a variety of subsidies for planting projects on idle land, farm fields and along watercourses. Over-the-counter coniferous and deciduous tree sales are also available for smaller orders and are accepted year-round.
Property owners interested in tree planting next year are encouraged to contact the Conservation Authority this summer for more information and can schedule a free site visit.
In total, SNC has planted over 3.4 million trees across its 4,446 square-kilometer jurisdiction in Eastern Ontario since 1990, and over 140,000 so far this year.
More information on SNC’s tree planting programs and services can be found at www.nation.on.ca/land/forestry-services/tree-planting-services
###