In the battle to protect their territory in the Amazon rainforest, the indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people really only have one significant weapon in their arsenal: media attention. Without it, landgrabbers will keep penetrating further into their land in the Brazilian state of Rondnia.

The Territory, which just made its world premiere at Sundance, ups the media attention on the Uru-eu-wau-wau and their struggle to a dramatically new level. Shot over a period of several years in collaboration with the Uru-eu-wau-wau, it explores not only what is at stake for the indigenous group but for humanity in general.

The Uru-eu-wau-wau indigenous territory is important for the whole planet, says Neidinha Suru, a defender of the Uru-eu-wau-wau who is one of the main characters in the documentary. Because of its nature and biodiversity and because its fighting climate change its super important.

There are fewer than 190 of the Uru-eu-wau-wau in existence. They are outmanned and outgunned by armed invaders engaged in burning down great swaths of the rainforest for mining, logging, clearing land for cattle and homesteading. The Uru-eu-wau-wau cause got a welcome boost today with the news, reported by Deadline, that National Geographic has acquired The Territory for distribution, guaranteeing a much bigger platform for the Uru story.

We are honored to bring the story of the Uru-eu-wau-wau people to the world, noted Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of global scripted content and documentary films for National Geographic, and help further the conversation and raise awareness around the endangered Amazon rainforest and its indigenous people.

Bernstein also praised the work of Alex Pritz, who makes his directorial debut with The Territory. Other filmmakers have entered the Amazon rainforest before him and applied a sort of colonial gaze upon the situation. Pritz tells Deadline it was critical to him that the Uru-eu-wau-wau be centrally involved in making The Territory.

It had to feel good every step of the way to everybody involved, Pritz tells Deadline, or it wasnt worth doing at all.

Before the early 1980s, the Uru-eu-wau-wau lived their lives without any contact with the Brazilian government. Explaining the concept of a documentary film, therefore, to community elders who had no frame of reference for such a thing, presented a challenge.

The idea of advocacy and news media, journalism, a lot of these things were really quite foreign, Pritz recalls. And the idea that somebody would follow you around with a camera for a couple of years was like, OK, but what does that mean, really? And then whats the point of it? We really felt in order to proceed with the process of informed consent with this community, we had to open up our toolkit and explain and show and teach and share what film meant to us.

Pritz says younger members of the Uru, like 18-year-old Bitat, intuitively understood the idea.

They kind of came to the elders, Pritz explains, and said, Look, we really think this film is going to be an exciting and important thing. Lets do it.

In short order, Bitat was operating a drone camera, documenting incursions by non-indigenous Brazilians hungry for their land. After the outbreak of Covid, filmmakers feared spreading the coronavirus to the Uru, so they supplied them with camera equipment allowing the Uru to do filming themselves.

The media is a huge tool, Pritz observes, and Im excited that theyve been picking it up for themselves We see this film as the beginning of a much larger collaboration between media and this community.

Pritz and his team also filmed with settlers the ones clearing land that doesnt belong to them, acre after acre. That was at the insistence of the Uru-eu-wau-wau.

They really pushed us, Pritz remembers, and said, Look, if you want to understand this story in a different way or shed some light on the situation more generally, talk to people on the other side who are the ones invading us.

Pritz says many Brazilian settlers are influenced by narratives that come from American Westerns.

They see themselves as the heroes of this story. They are the virtuous pioneers that are creating something out of nothing, in their minds, he observes. Obviously, the rainforest is not nothing and its home to people and animals and all sorts of things. But theyre following this tired Western colonial story that land is nothing, it is a blank slate until it is found, demarcated along these Cartesian coordinates and turned into private property, and only then does it become something. And they see themselves as the first step in that creation of private property.

President Jair Bolsonaro, often compared to Donald Trump, has openly expressed hostility to the interests of indigenous peoples and has blessed the deforestation of huge tracts of the Amazon.

These invaders and farmers, most of them, they feel very supported and empowered by the current government in Brazil, the current president, notes the films Brazilian producer, Gabriel Uchida. So, they were just fine with showing us illegal stuff that they were doing.

The land of the Uru-eu-wau-wau and other indigenous groups is protected under the Brazilian constitution. On paper.

Theres no law enforcement there, Uchida says. In one of the scenes of the film Neidinha and activists go to the guy who works for the federal agency and he says something like, What should I do? Go there and fight the invaders? I can do nothing. Year by year, there are just more and more invaders. Nowadays, its a nightmare because honestly, theres not one single week that we have peace.

Neidinha Suru grew up in the rainforest, her father a rubber tapper at a time before the Uru-eu-wau-wau land came under federal protection. As a prominent defender of Uru-eu-wau-wau interests, her life has been threatened by those who want to take control of Uru land. Deadline spoke with her from her home in Brazil, which she has been compelled to turn into a defensive structure.

Its like a fortress, high, high walls and CCTV, Suru notes, and I had to make it that way because of this genocide agenda that is affecting human rights activists and environmental activists in Brazil.

Bolsonaro is running for reelection later this year. Suru makes it clear what she thinks about the right-wing politician.

His speeches, his agenda and also his supporters theyre supporting deforestation and the death of animals and also the death of indigenous peoples, she says. It is a tragedy for the whole world, not only for Brazil. Hes promoting hate, not love. Hes promoting illegal activities. Its terrible to talk about it I can tell you that I love horror movies. But not a single horror movie would be worse than Bolsonaros axe to the forest I consider him the worst nightmare for the Amazon.

Spectacular photography in The Territory helps reveal the hidden life of the rainforest, and all that is lost when outsiders set fire to it.

I really wanted visually to be able to move between the big and the small, because this story is about the climate and about the planet and these really huge forces, the rise of populist authoritarianism and these huge themes manifest destiny, Pritz comments. But its also about the individual characters and we wanted to make a film that was able to move between the macro level forces and the micro level people and regional conflicts that encapsulates it. Trying to build a visual language where we can move between satellite imagery of the continent where you see, over 30 years, how many trees have been lost and what this really looks like and then go all the way down to like one caterpillar and really just focus on that.

Suru helps sum up the purpose of The Territory.

I hope people can realize how dangerous it is to lose the rainforest and the risks that indigenous peoples and activists are facing here, she says. I hope they understand that this fight is to save the forests and the planet.

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Sundance Doc The Territory Shines Light On Alarming Deforestation Of Protected Land In Brazils Rainforest: Its A Nightmare - Deadline

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that more planes will be able to land in low-visibility conditions despite the rollout of 5G C-band, including some models of the Boeing 777 aircraft thats used by many international airlines. According to a statement from the regulatory agency, its cleared three more models of radar altimeters as safe and reliable, even in areas where the upgraded cellular technology has been rolled out. This change comes after several international airlines announced on Tuesday that they were suspending flights to some US airports due to the 5G C-band rollout.

According to the FAAs statement, which you can read in full below, it cleared three additional altimeters on Wednesday morning, after clearing two on January 16th. The FAA has been in a back-and-forth with AT&T and Verizon, claiming that the companies cell towers could interfere with equipment needed to safely land planes in low-visibility conditions. Earlier this month the carriers delayed their rollouts to give the FAA more time to test and clear altimeters, and have said theyll limit C-band expansion around certain airports that frequently have low visibility conditions.

With the additional safety buffer that AT&T and Verizon announced on Tuesday, this should clear some models of Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, MD-10/-11 and Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350, and A380. The FAA says that these new approvals should allow an estimated 62 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at airports where wireless companies deployed 5G C-band.

While 62 percent of airplanes seems low, its higher than the FAAs previous estimates; when the agency announced its new list of approvals on January 16th, it said they covered around 45 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet. The administration has also said that, despite Wednesdays clearances, flights at some airports may still be affected.

There were hints that this change would be coming earlier on Wednesday, ANA and Japan Airlines announced that they would be resuming normal operations thanks to an FAA notification that cleared the 777 (the FAAs announcement wasnt public at the time). In a statement to The Verge, US-based Southwest Airlines said that it expects minimal disruptions today after the telecomm companies announced their delay in 5G expansion near U.S. airports.

The FAAs full statement:

The FAA issued new approvals Wednesday that allow an estimated 62 percent of the U.S. commercial fleet to perform low-visibility landings at airports where wireless companies deployed 5G C-band.

The new safety buffer announced Tuesday around airports in the 5G deployment further expanded the number of airports available to planes with previously cleared altimeters to perform low-visibility landings. The FAA early Wednesday cleared another three altimeters.

Even with these approvals, flights at some airports may still be affected. The FAA also continues to work with manufacturers to understand how radar altimeter data is used in other flight control systems. Passengers should check with their airlines for latest flight schedules.

Airplane models with one of the five cleared altimeters include some Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, MD-10/-11 and Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380 models.

For additional 5G information, including the airport list, please visit http://www.faa.gov/5g

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The FAA says some 777s are cleared to fly to airports with 5G C-band - The Verge

In 1675, Mary Walcott, one of the accusers at the Salem witch trials, was born; Domenico II Contarini, the Doge of Venice, died; and, as best as forestry experts can determine, a bunch of gossamer-winged pine seeds landed on a forest clearing in the Adirondack Mountains of what would eventually be designated as the State of New York. Sun, rain, soil, good luck, and (probably) a property-line muddle combined to make this an auspicious landing. Pine trees hate shade, but this was a clearing in the dense Adirondack forest, most likely created by a hearty gust of wind that had toppled the previous overstory, so it was pine-friendly. The Mohawk and Oneida people who lived in the area left them alone. European farmers, who favored a clean-shaven pasture, wouldnt arrive in the area for another century.

By the late eighteen-hundreds, when the region was being farmed and logged, this lucky bunch of trees had grown so big and thick that they were too large for most sawmills to cut, so they were left unmolested, while the smaller, more manageable trees nearby were made into dining-room tables and hope chests. As it happened, the land where the trees stood was near a newly drawn property line, so, most likely, when loggers began clearing the forest, they werent quite sure who owned the stand, and decided to leave it alone rather than get in a pickle over it.

Decades passed. The First World War came and went. The most convincing of the five best-known Anastasia pretenders appeared. Scotch tape was invented. The first Mr. Potato Head was manufactured. Electricity was generated by a nuclear reactor. People danced the Loco-Motion. In nearby Lake Placid, the Winter Olympics were held in 1932 and again in 1980. All the while, the trees on this eight-acre tract kept growing, surpassing fifty, then a hundred feet, and beyond. No other trees in the immediate area matched them in height. No one knows how tall the very tallest of them got, now that many in the grove have fallen, but Tree 103 (1675-2021) topped out at a hundred and sixty feet and nearly five inches, making it likely the tallest tree in New York State at the time of its death, in December.

The pine got its designation as Tree 103 in 2006, when a forestry expert measured the trees in the grove and tagged them in the order in which he measured them. Tree 103 was a mighty beanpole, and yet, by the rules of big-tree classification, it was not the states biggest. Champion trees are scored by combining their height in feet, their circumference in inches, and a quarter of the spread of their crowns. White pines are pointy; their crowns will never challenge the umbrella-like spread of a buckeye or a maple. Most of New Yorks registered biggest trees are species with lush crowns. Moreover, most live pampered lives, getting fat in the luxury of a suburban lawn or a wide-open pasture, with no competition for sun or water. Yes, we see you, red oak of Monroe County! And you, Eastern cottonwood of Clinton, and sycamore of Dutchess! Yeah, well, Tree 103 had a harder life than you, a more rugged North Country life, doing its damnedest in its wilderness thicket of forty or so trees, achieving staggering height without regular visits from TreeDocsRUs and without any sort of nice commemorative plaque and without a historical society attending to it and giving luncheons in its honor. Tree 103 was scarred and scabby; it creaked in the wind; it sagged in the rain. It had lost the dewy glow that it had back in 1675, but havent we all?

Last July, one of Tree 103s neighbors snapped and toppled. Tree 103 broke its fall. The weight was much to bear, and then the autumn winds slapped it around. Hikers who went to visit the tree on December 11th found instead a raggedy broken trunk and a fallen warrior. No one had been around to hear it fall, but, given its size and height, it would have released a huge amount of energy, equivalent to several sticks of dynamite, and it knocked over a number of smaller trees when it went down. Justin Waskiewicz, a forestry professor at Paul Smiths College, which borders the land where Tree 103 stood, says that pine trees rarely live past three hundred and fifty years, so its demise wasnt a surprise. Given the math, the whole grove of these giant pines will probably be gone sometime in the next fifty years. Do not despair: Tree 103 is no longer thrusting into the sky, but it lives on as forest debris, making fungi and bugs happy. Its dead, yes, Waskiewicz said, but I prefer to think that its just not vertical anymore.

Afterword is an obituary column that pays homage to people, places, and things weve lost. If youd like to propose a subject for an Afterword piece, write to us at afterword@newyorker.com.

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The Tallest Known Tree in New York Falls in the Forest - The New Yorker

A sailor stands guard at the Cambodian Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, July 26, 2019. REUTERS/Samrang Pring/File Photo

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WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Dredgers have been spotted off Cambodias Ream naval base, where China is funding construction work and deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.

The United States, which has sought to push back against Beijing's extensive territorial claims and military expansion in the South China Sea, reiterated its "serious concerns" about China's construction and military presence at Ream.

"These developments threaten U.S. and partner interests, regional security, and Cambodia's sovereignty," a spokesperson for the State Department said.

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The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank said the dredgers could be seen in photos released this month by the Cambodian government and in commercial satellite imagery.

"Dredging of deeper port facilities would be necessary for the docking of larger military ships at Ream, and was part of a secret agreement between China and Cambodia that U.S. officials reported seeing in 2019," the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS reported.

It cited a 2019 Wall Street Journal report that said the deal granted China military access to the base in return for funding facilities improvements.

Last June, Cambodian media quoted Defense Minister Tea Bahn as saying China would help to modernize and expand Ream, but would not be the only country given access to the facility.

AMTI said a Jan. 16 commercial satellite image showed two dredgers and barges for collecting dredged sand. It said other images showed both dredgers arriving between Jan. 13 and Jan. 15.

They were also visible in a photo posted on Tea Banhs Facebook page following his Jan. 18 visit to Ream, it said, adding that the work "could mark a significant upgrade in the bases capabilities."

"The shallow waters around Ream mean it is currently only able to host small patrol vessels. A deep-water port would make it far more useful to both the Cambodian and Chinese navies."

AMTI said construction work had continued onshore, with land clearing in several locations in the southwest of the base since fall 2021 and said this and the dredging "indicates that the base is being prepared for significant infrastructure upgrades."

The State Department spokesperson said the United States urged Cambodia "to be fully transparent about the intent, nature, and scope of the project at Ream and the role the PRC military is playing in its construction, raising concerns about the intended use of this naval facility."

PRC stands for the People's Republic of China.

Last year, Washington sanctioned two Cambodian officials over alleged corruption at Ream and imposed an arms embargo and export restrictions on Cambodia over what it said was the growing influence of China's military in the country, as well as over human rights and corruption. read more

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Reporting by David Brunnstrom in WashingtonEditing by Matthew Lewis and David Gregorio

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Dredgers spotted off Cambodian base where China is funding work -U.S. think tank - Reuters

Munlochy Clootie Well: Person who cleaned up didn't have permission Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. Linked In An icon of the Linked In logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo.

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Mystery person who cleared Munlochy Clootie Well didn't have permission from land owners - Press and Journal

Ashtabula County Land Bank Executive Director Eddy Eckart will be leaving the organization on Jan. 26, after working with the organization since 2018, according to a press release from the land bank.

I am very proud of the work we have accomplished since 2018, Eckart said. The land bank has helped stabilize neighborhoods across the county, and we are now in position to help rebuild those communities. It is a bit of a bittersweet moment for me because I have truly enjoyed building the organization and having a positive impact on the county in which I live.

When reached via telephone on Monday, Eckart said he will remember the relationships the land bank was able to foster with communities and county agencies. We couldnt have made the pivot from being a [demolition] only organization, to one that does a lot of different community activities without the collaboration of all those entities, he said.

Eckart said the land bank has two state grants coming this year. I think were very well positioned for the future, Eckart said. One grant will fund demolition of blighted commercial and residential properties, and the other will help clean up and assess county brownfield sites, he said.

Eckart said the land bank is working in partnership with the Ashtabula County Port Authority andthe countys planning departmenton the brownfield grant.

We couldnt have gotten where we are without Eddys help in spearheading all these initiatives, Commissioner J.P. Ducro, vice president of the land bank board, said in the press release. He is truly going to be missed. We wish him the best.

Hardworking and dedicated people with outstanding vision such as Eddys are a true inspiration, Ashtabula County Treasurer andland bank Board Member Angie Maki-Cliff said in the release. He shows a commitment to quality and excellence and is dedicated to the betterment of our community. I count myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to work alongside Eddy. The Ashtabula County Land Bank and the Treasurers Office will miss him and truly appreciate all the work he has done.

Eckart said he is extremely grateful to board members, past and present.

I think any time we talk about the land bank, its important to give credit to [former Ashtabula County County Treasurer] Dawn Cragon for starting it, Eckart said. Its become an integral part of stabilizing neighborhoods in this county.

Eckart also praised Maki-Cliff.

Its been a pleasure working with Treasurer Angie Maki Cliff over the last several months,he said. She understands and supports the role of the land bank in revitalizing Ashtabulas communities and the organization is in good hands in her and the boards stewardship.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Ashtabula County Land Bank Executive Director leaving organization tomorrow - The Star Beacon

CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, Ga. (WRBL) Almost a month into the new year Chattahoochee County is clearing land to prepare for three new businesses that are making their way into town.

The county is clearing land off of Highway 520 for a new travel plaza costing around $2.2 million, a gas station, and a new Family Dollar combined with Dollar Tree costing around $5 million. City Manager Laura Lee Bernstein told News 3 these new stores will be beneficial to the community.

Essentially these developments, especially with them happening all at the same time will really enhance our revenue thats coming into the county. Number one the tax revenue alone coming into the county will almost double as a result of these developments. With the SPLOST and TSPLOST were a part of it will contribute to those as well, so were real excited its a real game-changer for a place like this, Bernstein said.

The new travel plaza will have a mini grocery store inside, Bernstein said this will be a major relief for those in Chattahoochee County and Stewart County.

The addition of some form of a grocery store in this area is so important because folks have to drive to Columbus or any other surrounding county just to get groceries for their family. So this is something thats great for our citizens and it does help the other county south of us because it gives them somewhere closer to come. But also it shows development is starting to occur south of Fort Benning that historically has not been started, Bernstein said.

Berstein said there has always been an interest for potential business opportunities in the general area.

I think the interest has always been that 520 is really a corridor of business opportunities. These roads go and they connect down to Florida into south Georgia and its one of the major four-lane roads to get to those places. So I think development was always a potential here, it was just a matter of time before it began, Berstein said.

Berstein told News 3 shes excited to see the county grow.

Personally its exciting to see the county actually making that corner turn to begin adding some development to the area. For so long they have not had any form of development besides the Dollar General and a couple of gas stations, the grocery store that was here was a locally owned grocery. They decided to retire understandably, they provided a great service to the community and we were very sad to see them go. But its also refreshing to see that there are folks interested in coming in and doing some development in Chattahoochee County and so its exciting to see the residents are going to have other places to go to get their necessities, Berstein said.

The new businesses are scheduled to open in July 2022.

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New businesses making their way to Chattahoochee County - WRBL

Fog clearing out to a few sunny days this week

The fog is finally clearing out later this week, where we'll finally see some sunnybut still briskdays heading into this weekend.

Seattle - Fog continues to be an issue around the region as we push through the middle of the week. Most of us will stay stuck in the low-lying cloud deck and fog through early Thursday morning.

Tuesday starts off chilly as well. Temperatures around the area will hang in the low 30s. Normal morning temps for this time of year usually sit near 38, so with below-freezing temperatures to start the day bridge decks and overpasses may be slick and frozen. Allow for extra time on the roads, not only for the slippery conditions but the fog as well. Keep a decent following distance while driving.

And not only will the fog linger, but stagnant air will also keep some of us in the moderate zone for air quality values in Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston Counties. This primarily will affect those who suffer from respiratory issues already. The "Alert" for Western WA stays in effect through 12pm Wednesday.

High pressure is the key to our dry forecast right now. A nice ridge is acting as a blocker to all weather systems that would potentially come our way. It also is the main factor as to why our air quality has degraded some. High pressure aloft sits over the top of us acting like a hat that doesn't really allow air to mix out and circulate and this why pollutants get stuck near the surface. The higher you go in elevation, like up to the mountains, you will see blue skies and warmer temperatures. This is also known as an inversion. Normally, air temperature decreases with an increase in altitude, but during an inversion warmer air is held above cooler air. An inversion traps air pollution, such as smog, close to the ground.

By late Wednesday into Thursday our ridge breaks down and that will open the door to allow systems to push inland. Foggy conditions may linger into early Thursday before clearing out completely. Highs will land near 50 both days.

By the weekend clouds increase as we shift to a SW flow with the potential for showers to return. Right now, we're forecasting some rain to move in late Saturday night into Sunday with showers hanging around into the start of next week. Highs drop into the mid to low 40s.

Have a great week all! ~Erin Mayovsky, FOX 13 Forecaster

*Beach Forecast

*Mountain Forecast

*Central WA Forecast

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Fog and stagnant air quality continue to drive the forecast through mid-week. - Q13 FOX (Seattle)

Proposed updates would regulate tree removal on residential properties above 0.5 hectares in size

Faced with the conflicting pressures of urban development and tree preservation, The Town of The Blue Mountains (TBM) has drafted an amended tree bylaw that proposes to regulate tree removalon some private properties.

The new bylaw proposes regulating treeremovalon settlement area properties above 0.5 hectares in size. The town's settlement area properties are largely located within the urban areas of Thornbury, Clarksburg, and along Highway 26 into Craigleith and Blue Mountain Village.

Town staff began working in 2019 to update the towns tree protection measures, but the work was largely put on hold until the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The towns current tree regulation, bylaw 2010-68, applies to municipal lands and lands that are subject to an approved tree preservation plan, but trees on many of the towns private properties are currently unregulated.

What we're trying with this bylaw is to fill the gap in the settlement area where those current regulations or authorities would not otherwise apply, said town planner Travis Sandberg at a joint committee meeting Jan. 13. This bylaw is intended to apply to privately owned properties within the settlement area only.

We need to provide some sort of regulation on clearcutting and larger tree removals, and to not encumber every small lot for every single tree to be cut.

Here are some of the new measures that could be put in place as the proposed bylaw currently stands:

The proposed bylaw also includes a number of exemptions, where a permit will not be required for the destruction of trees, some of which are outlined below:

Town staff plan to release an interactive map showing the properties that may be affected by the bylaw.

Individual property owners will be able to search their property in order to determine if there's any current regulations on the property, and then secondly to determine who they need to talk to if they want to cut trees, if there are regulations on it, Sandberg said.

The proposed bylaw stems from the enactment of Bill 68 in 2017, in which the province requires that each municipality develop policies for tree protection and the enhancement of natural vegetation. The town currently has policies in place to promote these ends, but only one that applies to privately owned lands.

The County of Grey Forest Management Bylaw prohibits the destruction of trees on forested, private lands over one hectare in size. It is currently the only bylaw that regulates tree-cutting on private lands in The Town of The Blue Mountains.

Committee members made a number of comments on the proposed bylaw.

John Ardiel voiced concerns about the town further extending its influence onto private properties.

I would suggest you go back and check Bill 68, as I firmly believe that does not applyto private properties, he said.

Bill 68 is not exclusive to the municipal lands, said director of planning and development services Nathan Westendorp. Bill 68 requires towns to have a municipal tree canopy policy, which we do have in the official plan, but when council was looking at astaff report when we were responding to Bill 68, [they said] Well, we do have a tree bylaw. We'd like you to look into it and see how we can update it.

Duncan McKinlay questioned whether the definition of the settlement area might be abruptly changed to encompass more of the town.

Theres been some people talking to me, they're very afraid that this will pass and then council can just pass a motion to amend [the settlement area] to include the whole township, he said.

Town staff sought to reassure McKinlay such a change wouldn't be done unless there was public consultation before the decision was made.

I can confirm that to amend [the settlement area] would be an amendment to the bylaw, and it would definitely include a public process, including a public meeting, Westendorp said.

Rosemary Mesley suggested that the town might give developers incentives to avoid clear-cutting the land.

How can we make this the best it can be, and not give them the opportunity to want to clear cut everything, and give them incentives? she asked.

The incentives comment is actually very intriguing to me, Westendorp said. Bylaws are the enforcement side of it, to say here's what you can and can't do, incentives are often done through programs, but [its] something we will take back and will look into.

After postponing the work through the pandemic, TBM held a public open houseand conducted a municipal survey in 2021.

Respondents to the survey strongly supported protections for the towns urban trees and for penalties to be imposed for unauthorized tree clearing.

However, just over half of respondents supported tree protection on privately owned lands under one hectare in size.

Following the joint committee meeting with members of the sustainable advisory committee and agricultural advisory committee, staff will update the draft bylaw and present it to council.

The revised bylaw will then be brought to a public meeting, after which a final draft will be brought to council for approval.

See more here:
Proposed TBM bylaw to impose restrictions on urban tree removal from private properties - CollingwoodToday.ca

It should be a pristine stretch of Northern Territory, but the Wessel Islands archipelago is being choked by plastic waste, and Charles Darwin University researchers and rangerssay the problem is only worsening.

The archipelago, which liesjust off the coast of Arnhem Land, is renowned for its picturesque beauty, but also as a biodiversity hotspot, anda haven for several endangered species.

However, growing amounts of plastic waste are washing up on itsbeaches, putting all of that at risk, according to Charles Darwin University research fellow Carol Palmer.

"I would say the archipelago is the most-littered place in the Northern Territory, if not Northern Australia,"Dr Palmer said.

Dr Palmer said she first noticed the plastic waste on a visit in 2011and, since then, she hadseen more and more rubbish of all kinds washing up.

"The amount of plastics, fishing gear [and]ghost netswas astounding," she said.

Photosshow plastic bottles, cartons, foamand even a battered, sun-bleached toy scooter littering one of the archipelago'sbeaches.

"Certainly, working with both the traditional owners and the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers, we all agreed that this hasnever, ever been recorded at this level before."

Executive officer of the Gumurr Marthakal Rangers, Marcus Lacey, saidwesterly winds during the wet season broughtthe plastic in from the Timor Sea, which was thendumped onto the islands during dry season winds.

Dr Palmersaid she had beenalso been surprised by the increase of ghost nets washing up, abandoned nets thatcould stretch for kilometres, snagging fish and other marine life.

"It would be really great to do a review of what is the percentage of the netting, the plastics, to work out where it's from," she said.

"Because it's not just all Asian. It's certainly Australian gear too."

The Gumurr Marthakal Rangershave managed the area around the Wessel Islands since 2016, and Mr Lacey also has a strong family connection to the islands.

"The waste is worse than it has ever been, and its continuing to get worse after every wet season," he said.

But, because of the isolation and limited resources, it's not a problem the rangers can tackle aloneand, Dr Palmer says,it will notbe an easy fix.

"It's very expensive to try [to]sort out, and requires a reallybig planning process," she said.

"To do the first clean-up will probably be the biggest clean-up in Australia I would say."

Dr Palmer said the task would befurther complicated because most of the work wouldneed to be boat-based, and required cooperation between traditional owners and rangers, scientists,government and non-government organisations.

"It does require good funding and ongoing funding, not just a couple of years. It's actually long-term funding so we can actually maintain this."

Mr Lacey is also calling a permanent ranger station there, after the last permanent settlement was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Monica in 2006.

"To give people, and traditional owners, a chance to have access to their country, and to care for it," he said.

Read more:
Calls for clean-up to remove plastic waste piling up on the Wessel Islands, off Arnhem Land - ABC News