Canadian Property Owners Will Be Compensated for Destroyed Trees

ONTARIO, Canada - Property owners in Ontario and Nova Scotia who had trees destroyed to stop the spread of three invasive pests will be compensated, federal Agriculture Minister Bob Speller said yesterday.

Thousands of trees have been destroyed in efforts to stop the spread of the Asian long-horned beetle and the emerald ash borer in Ontario, and the brown spruce longhorn beetle in Halifax.

I am committed to supporting the tree replanting effort in these communities and starting the process of renewal, Speller said in a release.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which Speller oversees, says it has culled more than 137,000 trees to date.

The agency estimates the replanting effort will cost about $6.5 million.

Since last fall, some 15,000 trees have been cut down in the Toronto area because of the Asian long-horned beetle.

A CFIA official said nearly 6,000 trees were removed in Halifax about four years ago because of the brown spruce longhorn beetle.

Compensation is to be provided over the coming months.

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.