ERCA officials seek information on stolen 12-foot steel gates

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Rogues formed two 12-foot steel gates from Cypher Systems Group Greenway in Essex, worth thousands of dollars.

“As staff are working on maintenance along the greenway system in preparation for spring, two 12-foot gates at the Pinkerton intersection of the Greenway Trail have been completely removed,” said Kevin Money, director of the Essex County Conservation Bureau.

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“Removing these steel gates will require a lot of coordination by the perpetrators, including removing tools and loading heavy doors into large trailers.”

Money said several thousand dollars of the Protection Agency would be lost to replace installed gates to prevent motor vehicles from entering the greenway.

Officials asked anyone who noticed illegal or suspicious activities in the reserve or along the trail to report to police.

Money pointed to the incident at the Trebrey Beach Reserve earlier this month, and the fire “destroyed” the area.

Nearly 40 acres of wetland were burned down, leaving lakeshore firefighters on site for several hours.

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The fire is believed to have begun with unauthorized burns in the reserve.

“These types of events can affect public use of the reserve and can result in thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs,” Money said in a press release.

“If someone sees an activity that seems to be wrong or may result in damages, we encourage them to contact local authorities.”

ERCA officials also ask anyone about the Missing Door, please contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or report anonymously via Windsor & Essex County Crime Blocker via Www.catchcrooks.com or 1-800-2222-TIPS (8477).

jkotsis@postmedia.com

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