5 writings to our mother
lined with utility poles . No buffer plantings have been put here and the ground remains barren .
North of Oldfield Road is a three acre forest , which is all that is left of a once 45 acre old growth swamp wetland forest . Once dominated by towering Pin Oaks , it was the best place in Niagara to observe the Grey Tree Frog , a charming species that lives in tree tops . The three acres is all that is left as a result of an Ontario Municipal Board , ( OMB ) negotiated settlement that protects the habitat of a threatened vine , the Round-leaved Greenbrier .
What is distressing is seeing the barren and invasivedamaged buffer between the protective fence around the three-acre forest . While most of this land was disturbed three years ago , is still simply naked dirt . An environmentally dangerous exotic weed has become established , known as Phragmites . It is a terrible warning of what may happen soon south of Oldfield Road . Given the failure to plant appropriate native species such as Gray Dogwood , the “ buffer ” in the future will simply be an entry point for invasive , exotic species into an old growth forest .
The harsh reality on the ground is also shown by encroachment on the supposed 39-meter “ buffers ” of Provincially Significant Wetlands in the vicinity of Ramsey Road . Here the trees in the protected wetland are being encircled and buried by truckloads of landfill . The recent photos , taken at the site , demonstrates this vividly .
Provincial wetland policy is effective in keeping development of of protected areas . Its buffering policies however , are not effective . Regulators are not prepared for the costly legal battles to effectively enforce the law , despite vivid evidence is shown by these photos .