Perth County tweaks stewardship program to give new applicants a better shot at funding

By: Galen Simmons

Perth County is making changes to its Stewardship Program for 2027 aimed at spreading available funding among more landowners, though council remains divided over how much taxpayer money should go toward larger trees, contractors and other planting costs.

At its Oct. 1 meeting, county council approved two administrative changes recommended by resiliency and stewardship coordinator Hannah Cann following an earlier council discussion in August. Beginning with the 2027 intake, first-time applicants will receive five points through the program’s scoring system, up from one, while landowners will be limited to one approved application per year across all program streams. Previously, there was no annual limit on the number of applications an individual landowner could submit.

“The report before you outlines the proposed 2027 stewardship program adjustments, which focus on making the program more accessible and distributing funding more broadly,” Cann told council.

She said increasing the first-time applicant weighting gives new applicants “a stronger opportunity while keeping the ecological value of projects as the main consideration.”

The changes respond to concerns raised in August after council heard the program had been oversubscribed in two of its first three years. Councillors questioned whether repeat applicants were receiving too much of the available funding while new applicants had grants reduced through prorating.

While council approved the changes, the Oct. 1 discussion showed broader concerns with the program remain.

Coun. Bob Wilhelm said he continues to have a problem with the county funding trees costing hundreds of dollars each.

“We have a variation from $100 to $400 per tree and I think we have to have some kind of control on that,” Wilhelm said. “That’s ridiculous.”

Deputy Warden Sue Orr suggested oversized stock be removed from the program, while Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz argued the program has strayed too far from its original purpose of getting trees into the ground.

“The intent was to plant trees,” Ehgoetz said. “And yet now we’re paying for them to be delivered. We’re paying for them to be planted. We’re paying for the site plan, the site to get ready.”

Staff, however, recommended against setting a fixed per-tree grant or banning oversized stock. Of 67 completed projects in the landowner and living snow fence streams, only five used oversized trees. Staff argued projects should instead continue to be reviewed individually based on site conditions and environmental objectives.

Coun. Walter McKenzie supported keeping planting labour eligible, saying landowners he has spoken with would not participate if they had to find time to plant the trees themselves.

“If we didn’t pay for planting or planting wasn’t part of it, they wouldn’t do it because they don’t have time to do it,” McKenzie said.

The county’s own figures support that concern. Applications fell to 12 when labour was ineligible in 2025 before rebounding to 21 projects after labour costs were restored for 2026.

Coun. Todd Kasenberg also cautioned against a flat per-tree cap if it pushes landowners toward cheaper species that may be less suited to a particular property. Cann said species prices can vary substantially and limiting support to a set amount per tree could discourage the most appropriate planting choice.

The county is proposing another $100,000 for the Stewardship Program in its draft 2027 budget, the same funding level as 2026, though final approval will rest with the next council during budget deliberations.

Staff told council the spring intake is expected to close Jan. 22, with applications coming back to the next council for consideration in early February. The application period is now open.

More information on the Perth County Stewardship Program is available athttps://tinyurl.com/mpfxde8c.