Forestry

Tree planting is one of the primary forestry programs at Conservation Halton. Over the past 60 years, we have planted more than 4 million trees on our own lands and on other private and public properties. Each year, the forestry department plants around 50,000 trees and shrubs on both private and public lands, in an effort to reach their goal of 30 percent forest cover in the watershed.

Conservation Halton is looking for landowners interested in planting trees on their properties, and there are a number of funding opportunities that can help offset the costs.

Program requirements:

• Minimum 500 trees to be planted 
• Minimum 0.5 acres of open land that can be planted 
• Property is located within the Conservation Halton watershed 
• Willing to protect the trees from livestock, wildlife, and machinery damage 
• Able to cover the remaining costs of the tree planting after subsidies 
• Eligible project types include afforestation, riparian, windbreak, and restoration 
• Willing to sign a 15-year agreement stating you will not cut, harvest, or otherwise remove the trees from the planted area for a minimum of 15 years after planting 

Forestry staff will conduct a (free) site visit to discuss your project objectives, create a plan that is designed for your property and support you in accessing funding program. Staff will manage the process of planting the trees, and monitoring will be carried out at years one, two and five. 

If you are interested in tree planting, and your property meets the requirements, please complete and submit an application form.

Are you looking to purchase locally-sourced tree seedlings to plant on your property? Conservation Halton offers wholesale purchasing of tree seedlings every spring from late April to May, depending on weather conditions.

Purchase requirements:

• A minimum order of 100 trees is required (50 per species) 
• A 50 percent non-refundable deposit is required at time of order

If you are interested in purchasing trees, please complete and submit a request form.

The Conservation Halton Strategic Forest Management Plan, which will guide us as a leader in sustainable forest management for next 20 years, includes:

• Landscape-approach to forest management with a focus on landscape-based management of our forests
• Commitment to sustainable management practices by identifying forest health as the primary outcome
• Key pressures and challenges that our forests are faced with and what we can do to address them
• Accountability in sustainable forest management with annual performance indicators built into the plan 

The Strategic Forest Management Plan will be delivered with a five-year outlook and a focus on three objectives:

• Improve forest health conditions using current and future accepted methodologies and science 
• Maximize the value of our forests in delivering environmental goods and services, social and health benefits, and enhanced forest diversity 
• Maintain and, where possible, increase forest cover across our watershed through afforestation of private, municipal, and corporate lands, and through public education and landowner outreach programs.  

Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that is known to be damaging and destructive to Ash trees. Once an tree has been infested with Emerald Ash Borer, it is usually killed within two or three years, and becomes more susceptible to falling over or dropping branches. Dead trees can provide many ecological benefits to a forest, but unfortunately, they can also be dangerous and hazardous if the tree is within striking distance of a trail, road, hydro, building or other assets.

As a result of this risk, Conservation Halton is in the process of removing around 100,000 trees infested with Emerald Ash Borer from our properties, so that they don’t hurt anyone or damage anything. In order for us to remove these trees, safely, we sometimes need to close trails, so we appreciate your patience, understanding and respect. In these cases, signs will be posted in the areas where work is taking place, and service disruptions will be shared on our website.

Restoration

In areas where a large number of trees need to be removed, the tree canopy will be more open, the forest will appear emptier, and there may be many logs on the ground. It won’t be pretty, but after a year of natural restoration, the area will look like a healthy, young forest again. Most restoration occurs from the seeds and roots of existing trees, but we will be supporting this restoration with new trees and shrubs planted in the area.

Prevention