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MINISTER ENACTS COMPENSATION REGULATIONS TO AID IN TREE-REPLANTING EFFORTS

Related News Releases: 2005-09-01 | 2005-05-19 | 2004-05-12

OTTAWA, May 12, 2004 – The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Bob Speller, today announced the implementation of the Introduced Forest Pest Compensation Regulations to compensate property owners in Ontario and Nova Scotia for the replacement of trees ordered destroyed to control the spread of three invasive forest pests.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) estimates the replanting effort will cost approximately $6.5 million.

Compensation will be available to property owners whose trees were ordered destroyed due to measures used to combat the the Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle (BSLB) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Asian Long-horned Beetle (AHLB) in parts of Toronto and Vaughan, Ontario and the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Essex County and parts of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario.

"I am committed to supporting the tree-replanting effort in these communities and starting the process of renewal. We are pleased to announce the implementation of these new regulations to assist the affected parties in this matter," said Minister Speller.

Three categories of land have been established as the basis for providing compensation: privately-owned, public or municipal lands and woodlots.

Compensation is to be provided over the coming months on the basis of the direct cost of replacing a tree up to a set maximum amount. The maximum amounts are $300 per tree ordered destroyed on privately-owned land, $150 per tree on public land, and $40 per tree in woodlots. The maximum amount will apply to both the purchase of a tree and to reasonable costs for planting. The CFIA is establishing an administrative process over the next months to reimburse those affected in each region. The regulations exclude certain lands from compensation, such as railway and utility right of ways, drainage ditches and unmanaged or wild areas.

The CFIA has carried out an aggressive eradication campaign, resulting in the removal of over 137,000 trees to date. The Agency is working with federal, provincial and local agencies to protect Canada's trees and forests by stopping the spread of these destructive pests.

For more information on these forest pests and movement restrictions in place for wood and nursery stock in these regulated areas, please see our website at www.inspection.gc.ca

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For more information:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations
(613) 228-6682

Minister’s Office
Carla Ventin
Press Secretary
(613) 759-1346

• Introduced Forest Pest Compensation Regulations
• Backgrounder