The Mono Forest includes 6 properties (five areas) that cover an area of 186.6 hectares (461 acres), the largest being Monora Park. The Town's forests are managed by the Public Works department. Past management activities have included tree planting, thinning, pruning, fire protection, road maintenance, and pest control. The forest properties provide erosion and water control, recreation, natural heritage protection, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and revenue through timber production.
Dufferin County manages 3 tracts of forests in Mono.
The peak periods for hunting in the Dufferin County Forest are the shotgun hunts for white-tailed deer (Nov. 7-11, 2022 and Dec. 5-9, 2022) and the spring wild turkey hunt (April 25 - May 31, 2022).
On Dufferin County Forest properties, where hunting is allowed, there may be hunters present at any time between October 1 and May 31.
Know Where Hunting Is Allowed
Hunting is not permitted in Mono Forests or in the Dufferin County Forest Tracts in Mono.
Tree cutting and harvesting is regulated under Bylaw 2014-47, a bylaw to prohibit or regulate the destruction or injuring of trees in Mono. The bylaw prohibits tree removal within woodlots greather than 0.5 hectares (1.235 acres) without a valid Harvesting Permit or Special Council Permit.
The full bylaw, including the list of exemptions can be viewed online:
The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive wood-boring beetle that has been rapidly spreading across North
America. It has devastating impacts on the ash tree population, killing up to 99% of the trees in its path.
There is relatively little ash in the County Forest, and the ash has been in ill health since
before the threat of the ash borer. The threat of the ash borer is not anticipated to be significant in the County Forest.
Emerald Ash Borer [Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture, obtained from Wikimedia Commons)
LDD / Spongy (Formerly Gypsy) Moths
LDD (Lymantria dispar dispar) moths, formerly known as Gypsy moths, are a concern because during the larval stage, they can consume large quanitites
(an average of one square metre) of leaves from mostly deciduous (leafy) trees.
Aerial application of BTk (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) is considered to
be safe and effective. The use of BTk can protect treated areas against defoliation for the season
it is applied only. There is no impact on the future outbreaks of gypsy moths. Population levels of
gypsy moths tend to eventually collapse due to natural factors. More information on Gypsy Moth
on the use of aerial application of BTk can be found in the County of Simcoe's Gypsy Moth Infestation and
Status and Recommendations from November 24, 2020
Please note: the hairs on LDD moth caterpillars and in egg masses can cause irritation
or allergic reactions. Use gloves or other protective equipment when employing any of the management strategies
contained in these resources.
LDD Moth caterpillar killed by virus [Obtained from Wikimedia Commons]
Adult Male LDD Moth [Photo Credit: entomart, obtained from Wikimedia Commons]
Adult Female LDD Moth on a tree in Mono with egg mass
White Pine: White Pine Weevil & Blister Rust
White Pine Weevil
White pine weevils (Pissodes strobi) is a native insect pest that also affects other species of trees and is known as the "spruce weevil" in western Canada. Weevil impacts on a tree become visible around early July. The terminal shoot will suddenly wilt and give an appearance characterized as a "sherpherd's crook." Silvicultural practices to reduce damage from white pine weevils include:
Manage young white pine under an existing overstory to cool the environment and weevils tend to avoid laying eggs on shaded white pine. Heavy shade, however, can be detrimental to white pine growth.
Maintain high densities of young white pine until they reach a height of about 20 feet
Corrective pruning following weevil attacks can help correct injuries caused by white pine weevils and reduce the weevil population for the following year.
Cankers appear on young white pines as swollen and differentiated by colour to the greenish bark. In older pines, the cankers often produce a resin. Blister rust is clearly visible in Spring (May to June). Blister rust needs currant shrubs to spread to white pines; it does not spread directly. Small trees will die when the disease reaches the trunk. The best approach is to prune lower branches of young white pine trees.
The result of when a non-native beech scale insect feeds on beech bark, creating areas where canker fungi
enter. 50% to 85% of infected beech trees will die within 10 years of infestation.
Oak wilt is caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. It spreads from infected trees to uninfected trees of the same species thorugh root-to-root contact. It's also spread by insects moving spores from infected to healthy trees and from humans moving wood products. The fungus restricts the flow of water and nutrients through the tree. All oak species can get oak wilt, but the red oak group (red, black, pin) is the most susceptible.
Signs and Symptoms
Leaves turn dull green, brown, or yellow
Discolouration of the leaves progressing from the edge of the leaf to the middle
Wilting and bronzing of foliage starting at the top of the tree and moving downwards
White, grey or black fungal mats just under the bark that emit a fruity smell
Vertical bark cracks in the trunk and large branches as a result of the fugal spore mats
Premature leaf fall (including green leaves)
If you see signs and symptoms of oak wilt, report the sightings to:
There is no cure for oak wilt infected trees. The best approach is to avoid or reduce infection in areas where disease occurs. This can be accomplished by:
Identifying and removing diseased trees
Preventing or severing root connections between diseased and healthy trees
Minimizing wounds on healthy trees during the active period of potential insect carriers
Do Not
DO NOT prune oak trees from April to October. If pruning must occur, or if a tree is injured, apply a thin layer of wound paint immediately.
DO NOT move firewood. Oak wilt is spread by the movement of infected wood
Council Resolution: We will allocate the necessary resources to develop and implement a strategic energy management plan that will reduce our energy consumption and its related environmental impact.
Vision
We exercise stewardship in our use of finite energy resources to demonstrate leadership, optimize our delivery of services, and enhance the overall quality of life in our community.
Policy
We will incorporate energy efficiency into all areas of our activity including our organizational and human resources management procedures, procurement practices, financial management and investment decisions, and facility operations and maintenance.
Goals
To continuously improve the energy efficiency of our facilities and processes in order to reduce our operating costs, our energy consumption and the concomitant greenhouse gas emissions.
Overall Target
We will reduce our consumption of fuels and electricity in all municipal operations each year between now and 2020.
Objectives
To implement energy audits on all municipal facilities during the next five years;
To convert all lighting in town facilities, parking lots and street lighting to LED.
We need reliable, low-cost, sustainable energy sources delivering energy to the most efficient facilities and energy-consuming technology feasible.
Stakeholder Needs
Internal stakeholders (Council, CAO, staff) need to be able to clearly communicate the corporate commitment to energy efficiency, and to develop the skills and knowledge required to implement energy management practices and measures. External stakeholders (the Province, community citizens and groups) need the municipality to be accountable for energy performance and to minimize the energy component of the costs of municipal services.
Municipal Energy Situation
Our assessment of organizational capacity for energy management with respect to energy policy; organizational structure; employee awareness, skills and knowledge; energy information management; communications; and investment practices indicates the following: The Town of Mono has pursued many measures to improve the energy efficiency of municipal equipment. Some of these measures include: Interior and exterior lighting upgrades at the town offices and Monora Park Pavilion Proposal to Council for conversion to LED street lighting Approved FIT project for solar photovoltaic applications at Town facilities. As the understanding of corporate energy consumption improves, staff will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions. This improved understanding will also reveal how simple actions like commissioning and maintenance procedures can improve existing equipment efficiency.
How We Manage Energy Today
The management of energy consumption and the energy performance of our facilities and equipment are the responsibilities of: Finance (cost management), Works Department (maintenance), Department managers (operations), the CAO for leadership.
Summary of Current Energy Consumption, Cost and GHGs
Summaries of energy consumption and greenhouse gas may be found in appendices to this plan.
Trends in Energy Consumption
Our energy consumption decreased due to efficiency created by upgrading our buildings with spray foam insulation, high efficiency furnaces and LED lighting retrofits. This trend will continue with additional upgrades and retrofits.
Summary of Current Technical Practices
Our assessment of operations and maintenance practices, facility and equipment condition, and energy performance indicators establishes the following priorities:
Development of standard operating procedures incorporating energy efficiency optimization,
Enhancement of preventative maintenance procedures,
Continuation of our retrofit of lighting system in Mono Centre Community Centre in 2015
Implementation of the LED Street lighting conversion in 2014.
Renewable Energy Utilized or Planned
The Town of Mono aspires to show leadership in the promotion and development of renewable energy systems that are compatible with our asset management and land use planning objectives. As a result, we have applied for and received approval to develop a solar photovoltaic system on the rooftop of the municipal garage/shop building, subject to capacity of the adjoining street hydro system to take the resultant additional current. The town will consider possibilities for additional roof top installations on municipal buildings.
As an integral component of the management structure, the energy management plan is coordinated with the municipality's budget planning process, preventative maintenance plans, environmental management plan, and the overall asset management plan.
We will develop criteria for the design and/or acquisition of new buildings that include energy performance factors and that use as appropriate the principles embedded in performance standards such as LEED and the Model National Energy Code for Buildings.
Business Procedures
We will carry out a comprehensive review of all business processes and modify them as necessary in order to incorporate energy efficiency considerations.
We will carry out the required development of business procedures and communication programs and implement them methodically according to the planned timelines within the resources constraints that apply.
Asset Level
We use department and facility energy team representatives to facilitate the implementation of facility level business procedures and communication initiatives, including energy performance reporting.
Overall Target: We will reduce our overall municipal energy consumption (from all facilities and streetlights) by 5% from 2014 (based on baseline data) to 2019. The baseline was determined by averaging the annual consumption in ekWh for 2011 and 2012 for all facilities reported under Regulation 397/11 plus streetlights as they are such a significant energy consumer.
Green House Gas Emission
Governments at all levels are moving to address emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), in light of scientific evidence on how human activities are affecting the world's climate. For more information on the science, see the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The combustion of fossil fuels in buildings is a major source of GHG emissions that fall under local government influence. Municipalities can lower emissions by improving energy efficiency of buildings and using more renewable energy. The Town of Mono is committed to both objectives through the development and implementation of this Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan (CDM). We will continue to track and report on GHGs as part of our regular reporting on energy consumption and will evaluate progress in this area against our overall reduction target.
Cost
Summary of Current Energy Consumption, Cost and GHGs: The current energy usage by building is detailed in Appendix A. Our energy usage is updated monthly in the Energy Planning Tool (EPT) and reported annually to the Ministry of Energy.
Energy Consumption: We will review and evaluate our energy plan, revising and updating it as necessary, on an annual basis as based on the Energy Consumption Reports that are submitted to the Ministry of Energy on an annual basis as required under Regulation 397/11.
The Mono Community Policing Committee is run by volunteers who live and/or work in the Town of Mono and meets bimonthly to allow for feedback from committee members, individual residents, and the OPP Community Policing Officer. The committee also operates the Neighbourhood Watch program.
Tax certificates show the amount of money owing against a property. If you are buying a new property you can order a certificate to be sure there are no outstanding amounts owing when you take ownership. Anyone can purchase a tax certificate by submitting a letter requesting a tax certificate, along with the fee payable to the Town of Mono.
You may email a scanned PDF letter request and cheque copy to cathy.crawford@townofmono.com. The original letter along with payment should be placed in the mail the same date as the request.
