A Manitoba man faces possible jail time and fines for illegally cutting down Christmas trees..The man allegedly planned to sell the Christmas trees at a Steinbach business.. Tree with snow .Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development officers were tipped off about “illegal tree harvesting” north of Marchand on Crown land..Marchand is about 80 km southeast of Winnipeg..On December 13, the officers caught the suspect carrying trees out of the forest, which are used for forestry renewal projects across southern Manitoba..“These trees weren’t for timber harvesting or for Christmas tree cutting. They were set aside for seed generation for the forestry branch,” said Chief Conservation Officer Earl Simmons..“They could get the seeds from the cones and then create seedlings that they could plant in the area that would be unique to that part of the province.”.The man had cut down 167 trees, most between 20 to 30 feet tall. However, he only cut off the top of the trees..“Essentially, this individual just took off the tops of the trees and the rest of the trees went to waste,” said Simmons. .The officers seized a chainsaw, 30 black spruce trees, and another 18 cut down trees not yet removed from the forest..Simmons said it takes approximately 20 years for a tree to grow to at least 20 feet tall and the cost to taxpayers is about a $30,000 loss.. Road through a winter forest .If convicted, the man faces up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $50,000. The company in Steinbach faces up to a $250,000 fine for a first offence..Simmons said the government donated the confiscated trees to the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Winnipeg to help Ukrainian refugees enjoy their first Canadian Christmas..For those who want to cut down their own Christmas tree, you can purchase a $10 permit, which allows you to cut down a tree up to three metres tall, according to Simmons..“It’s fairly simple, it’s pretty cheap, and we encourage people to do it that way,” said Simmons.
A Manitoba man faces possible jail time and fines for illegally cutting down Christmas trees..The man allegedly planned to sell the Christmas trees at a Steinbach business.. Tree with snow .Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development officers were tipped off about “illegal tree harvesting” north of Marchand on Crown land..Marchand is about 80 km southeast of Winnipeg..On December 13, the officers caught the suspect carrying trees out of the forest, which are used for forestry renewal projects across southern Manitoba..“These trees weren’t for timber harvesting or for Christmas tree cutting. They were set aside for seed generation for the forestry branch,” said Chief Conservation Officer Earl Simmons..“They could get the seeds from the cones and then create seedlings that they could plant in the area that would be unique to that part of the province.”.The man had cut down 167 trees, most between 20 to 30 feet tall. However, he only cut off the top of the trees..“Essentially, this individual just took off the tops of the trees and the rest of the trees went to waste,” said Simmons. .The officers seized a chainsaw, 30 black spruce trees, and another 18 cut down trees not yet removed from the forest..Simmons said it takes approximately 20 years for a tree to grow to at least 20 feet tall and the cost to taxpayers is about a $30,000 loss.. Road through a winter forest .If convicted, the man faces up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $50,000. The company in Steinbach faces up to a $250,000 fine for a first offence..Simmons said the government donated the confiscated trees to the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Winnipeg to help Ukrainian refugees enjoy their first Canadian Christmas..For those who want to cut down their own Christmas tree, you can purchase a $10 permit, which allows you to cut down a tree up to three metres tall, according to Simmons..“It’s fairly simple, it’s pretty cheap, and we encourage people to do it that way,” said Simmons.
