From left: Marty Hancock, Superintendent, Northern Zone, Hydro One Forestry Department; Jack Coulis, Director, Hydro One Forestry Department, Peter Burgstaler, Dryden Area Forestry Technician and Karen Carpenter, Dryden Forest Management Company plant a tree to commemorate the start of a new Hydro One initiative to replace every tree cut down in Hydro One operations.

Hydro One and Dryden Forest Management Company (DFMC) have partnered to replace 43,000 trees that were cut down for the hydro transmission and distribution rights-of-way.

Hydro One, with the idea of “cut one, plant one” has started the ‘Green Initiative’ pilot project this year, and due to the time constraints, was only able to secure 43,000 trees for this year’s planting season.  They estimate 400,000 trees to be planted annually across the province in future years.

For the 2011 purchase of trees, Hydro One, through DFMC, have tendered out the growing contract.  There will be two local producers in the area supplying the trees for next year’s plant.

With the help of the Dryden High School’s outdoor education students, DFMC has taken on the responsibility of planting the donated trees from Hydro One.  The local Hydro One office will be partnered for this year and next with DFMC, but as a province wide initiative, future years will be going out for tender provincially

- Ally Dunham