COLLINGWOOD - Grey County council has deferred the approval of a new forestry management agreement with the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority after concerns were raised about one aspect of the deal.
At its meeting on July 11, county council was set to pass amended bylaws governing its Forest Management Agreement – bylaw enforcement and the Forest and Recreation Management Agreement. These are the bylaws that govern the county’s agreement with the conservation authority for forestry management activities the authority performs for the county.
Before the bylaws could be passed, West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles raised concerns that the bylaw was being amended to allow the conservation authority to perform tree marking services on private non-county lands.
“That would be in direct conflict with the private sector,” said Eccles. “We’re starting to allow a publicly funded, tax-funded corporation, the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority, to be in direct competition with private enterprise.”
Three marking is a service performed by forestry experts that determines which trees should be harvested from a particular forest.
Eccles noted that he is aware of multiple private companies that provide this service and he questioned why the county was agreeing that the conservation authority would be permitted to add that as a service it offers.
Conservation authority CAO Tim Lanthier was on hand for the meeting and explained that the county and conservation authority were re-starting a service that the authority had provided previously in Grey County and continues to provide in Bruce County.
“I do not believe we are underwriting or subsidizing this service,” said Lanthier. “It’s a service style we’ve been providing for almost 70 years.”
Lanthier explained that the conservation authority’s forestry services are self-funded and do not receive financial support from tax money the authority collects through the levy paid by property taxpayers.
The explanation, however, didn’t satisfy Eccles, who questioned how services private entities could provide were part of the mandate of the conservation authority.
Warden Brian Milne suggested that the question from Eccles was one to be posed to the conservation authority’s board of directors and not to county council.
“I’m not entirely convinced your argument is with this body,” said Milne. “Your argument would be better suited with the actual conservation authority board.”
Owen Sound Deputy Mayor Scott Greig suggested council defer the bylaw until it meets on Aug. 8. Greig pointed out that the conservation authority board has a meeting on July 24 and that would allow local representatives to get more information.
County council approved a resolution to defer.