The developer planning to build a subdivision in a forest in Kanata plans to apply for a permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources to remove more than 50 endangered butternut trees.

KNL Developments Inc., which wants to build 3,200 houses on two square kilometres of Beaver Pond Forest west of March Road, said 51 butternut trees stand on its property that need to be removed.

"And once we have the MNR permit for the butternuts, we will remove the butternut trees," said KNL Developments' Mary Jarvis.

Rick Watchorn, the area supervisor for the ministry, said a permit could take the company up to six months to get approved.

A permit would allow the trees to be cut down, but the developer would have to replace them with seedlings to be planted elsewhere.

But Martha Webber, a botanist with the South March Highlands Coalition, doesn't believe that will work.

"That may sound good. But how many are going to grow?" she said. "Most — three-fourths of them won't make it."

Webber said the wait for the MNR permit is giving her coalition more time to get its message out to save the trees.

Every day more people are signing the coalition's petition, she said.

Six years ago Urbandale Construction and KNL Developments bought the land after city council approved the area for use as a subdivision.

The developers have promised not to touch the pond and eight hectares of forest lining it.

But some area residents worry the subdivision will gut the forest. They have been trying to push council members to stop work on the subdivision, which was slated to begin this week.