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Birch trees stripped bare at Hazelwood Lake

Conservation Authority says the trees will likely die

THUNDER BAY -- Because someone decided they needed some birch bark, more than two dozen trees in a popular Thunder Bay conservation area are almost certainly doomed to die prematurely.

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority says 25 birch trees have been stripped of their bark in an act that a spokesperson says is only one of numerous  "bizarre" episodes of vandalism and untoward behaviour in conservation areas this year.

The incident last month occurred along one of the nature trails at Hazelwood Lake, which is located just north of the city in Gorham Township.

Ryan Mackett of the LRCA says "those trees are likely going to die because of the way the bark was harvested."

He said it's clear that the person responsible reached their arm up as high as they could with a knife, very deliberately cutting into the bark to a depth of several millimetres "to really strip  those trees."

Mackett speculates that the bark could be used for any of several purposes, including a canoe, craftwork or even as a firestarter.

No harvesting of any kind is permitted in conservation areas.

Mackett told tbnewswatch.com that 2017 has been a particularly bad year for mischief and wilful damage on LRCA properties.

"Everything from people ripping down signs because they don't agree with what the signs say, to the usual smashing of bottles, leaving garbage, having fires, just all kinds of different things."

 

 

 

 

 



Gary Rinne

About the Author: Gary Rinne

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Gary started part-time at Tbnewswatch in 2016 after retiring from the CBC
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