The owners of a woodlot in Essex County say the property with decades-old trees and several animal species is under threat of being cleared to make way for Hydro One's Windsor Lakeshore power line.
Brothers Kurtis, Adam and Jakob Rhoads say they have about 80 acres of agricultural land, and the woodlot which has been in their family for generations has never been cleared. They're urging Hydro One to select another route that won't disturb the woodlot.
Included in the woodlot are large oaks, some believed to be more than 100 years old, with the brothers saying the old-growth lot should be protected.
“Our family has stewarded this land since 1864. It's one of the few remaining sections of old-growth forest in Essex County and Lakeshore,” Kurtis said, as the brothers took CBC on a walk through the property.
Kurtis said he and his brothers like to spend as much time as possible enjoying the beauty of their land, which he said is an "ecologically significant” woodlot.
“We like to go for hikes, we like to watch the animals, we like to create sanctuaries for the local wildlife, and we enjoy the outdoors and everything that it offers,” he said.
'We have oak, maples, beech, hickory [and] sycamore'
According to Adam, the family has planted a lot of endangered tree species on the property.
“We have some Kentucky coffeetrees, some [eastern] redbud and a couple other species along here that we've planted to introduce them back into the ecosystem,” he said.
“In the bush we have oak, maples, beech, hickory [and] sycamore.”
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