<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-CA" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Good morning,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">There are two issues that I am currently dealing with and would dearly appreciate help/advice with. They are a bit complicated so I will send them out in two separate e-mails because they are a bit lengthy, I’m afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We are in a struggle with our local hydro utility over the issue of topping. It was a practice they stopped many years ago when a forester with an urban forestry appreciation was hired to run their line clearing operations
but was initiated again when a new forester took over recently. The rationale for returning to the practice is that it allows homeowners (generally in the rural areas) time to plant trees on their own properties which will grow large enough to provide screening
by the time the utility returns to remove the topped ones in 7-10 years. The trees involved are generally conifers and we are opposed to this practice for the obvious arboricultural reasons but for a number of other reasons as well. There are hundreds of
these trees on municipal ROW’s that were planted by homeowners and allowing them to be topped would give the impression that the City condones this practice. It took us years to educate the public as to why topping is bad and this would set us back a couple
of decades. Another reason is that if a 7-10 year line clearing cycle cannot be attained, this opens the City up to liability for trees that are dying or growing limbs that can be climbed by kids which are within proximity to the wires.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We have instructed Hydro to not top trees on City-owned property but one of our city councilors has put forward a resolution to allow them to do so. I can understand why homeowners are upset about the removal of their
screens but we feel that we cannot condone this practice, even in the short term. I now have to write a report to Council explaining the rationale of why we expect trees to be removed rather than topped.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Has anyone gone through a similar situation? I welcome any advice you can provide, even if you disagree with our position. Thanks.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">My apologizes to members of both the SMA and Canufnet discussions groups for duplication of this request for information.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shelley<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Shelley Vescio RPF<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">City Forester<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">City of Thunder Bay Parks Division<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">111 Syndicate Ave. South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Thunder Bay, ON<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">P7E 6S4<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">work (807) 625-2473<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">fax (807) 625-3258<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><a href="http://www.thunderbay.ca/urbanforestry">www.thunderbay.ca/urbanforestry</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
The information contained in this email message may be privileged, confidential and protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email
message in error, please notify the sender by reply email and delete the message and any attachments.
</body>
</html>