Province wants to plant more hedgerows across the Island

The provinceis looking for new clients to participate in its hedgerow planting program.

It wants to make surepeople are aware of the program, as it prepares for planting in 2018. The program is for homeowners, farmers and business owners whowant to plant trees around their properties.

"We want to help landowners to plant trees that protect the soil from rain erosion, wind erosion. We want to create sound buffers for them. We want to help reduce energy costs for heating in the winter time, or cooling in the summertime, and just to create a more beautiful landscape on Prince Edward Island," said Ken Mayhew, the information officer with Forests, Fish and Wildlife the department that runs the program.

"Hedgerows are a very integral part of the Island's landscape," he added.

A dollar a tree

To qualify, Islandersmust have a site where there's potential to plant at least 300 trees. If approved, the province does theplanting for approximately a dollar a tree.

After the trees are planted, the province follows up with the landowners to check on the survival of the trees. If the trees die, the province will often replacethose seedlings so long as the mortality was not the result of the landowner's actions, Mayhew explained.

The province has been doing this since around2005. To date, they've had approximately 2000 participants and have planted more than 800,000 trees across the Island.

"We're just encouraging more people to sign up. Love to see trees being planted in the beautiful Prince Edward Island," Mayhew said.

Participating landowners must agree to protect the trees for at least 15 years.

More information is available on the province's website.

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