As most of you know there was a pretty good storm that passed through Ontario this spring and cut a trail of destruction through a lot of cottage country. Up my way there was damage within a few kilometres of my cabin. When I took a look over towards Steenburg and Dickie Lake area, Gilmour, places were a complete mess. Some folks had downed trees covering 100 acres or half their property.
So out of interest I call the MPAC folks and ask them what they are going to do with adjusting the property valuation's on all these damaged forests, THE INITIAL REPLY WAS NOTHING. So conversation went like this with the agent......
Q. Why are you not allowing for the loss of all the lumber trees on a persons property.
R. Sir we do not take into consideration tree's as a part of the valuation of a property.
Q. Let me ask YOU a simple question, if you go and look at a 100 acre lot today with beautiful Oak trees and the owner is asking
$200,000 would you pay that money if a day later the who lot is flattened by the storm?
R. Well probably not.
Q. Well I am under the Forest Management Tax Incentive programme and got an estimate of lumber values 5 years ago, if I get my forester to re assess the loss of board feet of lumber and value would you reconsider and reduce the assessed value of the lot.
R. Well Sir I think you would have a case before an appeal board.
So for you folks out there who have suffered a big loss of lumber trees I would be looking at this angle for an appeal.
Up our way the major lumber guys are cleaning up folks lots but basically getting the wood in return with no money changing hands.
The farmer I get manure from lost the whole top of his barn and half his back forests, they are so bad that you would not risk taking in a chainsaw, they are so badly hung up, so basically need heavy forest equipment to do the job safely, grappler,skidder...
