Hydro One plans to clear cut the Red Hill corridor, a 1.6 km stretch of urban wilderness in Hamilton, ON, in the name of cost cutting. The Red Hill corridor has stood since the 1960s and has previously been maintained through the trimming of branches that grew over regulatory clearances. The undergrowth has been allowed to grow and the area has become a urban sanctuary for wildlife.
Hydro One has started using clear cutting as a management practice this past year, citing the need to cut costs, despite the recent $4 million contract with their current CEO. This salary is at the top end of all Canadian CEOs.
Clearcutting, as a practice, is incredibly environmentally destructive, especially in urban areas where wildlife has little enough space to live. Clearcutting removes precious habitat and food sources for local and migratory birds and displaces mammals into the city. It also disturbs the soil, leaving perfect conditions for wild invasive species to take over.
Sign now to stand up for the urban wilderness in Hamilton. By signing today you are letting know that you value appropriate management practices over lining the pockets of CEOs.
To Mayo Schmidt, CEO of Hydro One,
As a person who cares deeply for the environment I demand that you stop the clear cutting of the Red Hill Corridor and that you stop clear cutting hydro line corridors as a cost-cutting method.
Urban wilderness is important to the health of a city and, as we have seen in Guelph recently, the citizens of the city do not want it. It negatively impacts the local environment, removing habitat and food source for local and migratory birds, displaces mammals into the city, causing higher mortality rates, and increases the rate of invasion by invasive wild plant species.
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Sincerely,
[Your Name]
