RIDEAU AND MISSISSIPPI WATERSHEDS - This summer’s weather has been unpredictable at best: torrential rains, extreme heat and even a recent tornado on Christie Lake near Perth.
With this volatility becoming the norm, planting trees on marginal land or unused fields can help protect your property by reducing erosion, creating windbreaks, improving drainage, providing shade and more.
And, comparatively at least, it’s not expensive. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) offers generous tree planting subsidies for rural landowners in the Rideau and Mississippi watersheds with at least 1.25 acres of suitable land. The full-service program includes customized tree planting plans that suit the landowner’s vision and needs, on-site technical advice, ordering and handling of trees, site preparation, tree planting and tending, and survival assessments for five years.
Landowner costs range from $0.15 per tree within the City of Ottawa to between $0.30 and $0.40 per tree outside the city, depending on quantity.
“It’s an incredibly economical way to protect and improve your property while cutting down on maintenance for idle fields and retired rough pasture,” said Ian Cochrane, RVCA’s forestry manager. “The program keeps your property working without having to do a lot of work yourself.”
Elizabethtown-Kitley farmer Tom Ronan said tree planting has saved him countless hours of bush-hogging since he planted 7,500 trees on several idle fields at the back of his 200-acre property. He’s also saved himself the cost of fuel to run the mowing machine. On top of that, he said it feels good to leave a legacy for future generations.
“By the time these new trees mature, there’s a good chance I won’t be around. But my kids and my grandkids will have an opportunity to enjoy it,” Ronan said. “The trees represent a new growth for the farm. They’ll put some of the scrub land back into use, and it’s helping the environment.”
RVCA’s forestry staff work with landowners across both the Rideau Valley and the Mississippi Valley watersheds. They are now booking site visits for this summer and fall to prepare for tree planting in spring 2025.
To book your site visit, contact Ian Cochrane at
