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ûtiwm What is the Conservation Services The Conseivation Services Program is designed to assist private landowners with reforestation, reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, and erosion control projects on their property. As- • si stance may vary from providing information to a stakeholder on a wide range of resource oriented subjects through to designing and implementing a multi-year project. Who is eligible? Virtually anyone who owns land within the boundaries of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Conservation Authority is eligible. There is no minimum land area requirement. Any landowner who is interested in undertaking some form of resource improvement would be considered for a partnership project. In recent years the program has been expanded so as to include participation by our municipal partners with roadside tree planting assistance and our cor-, porate partners with vacant industrial land reforestation. In any case, technical advice and information is available to any stakeholder. What are the benefits? The landowner will realize enhanced aesthetic and economic property value, reduced wind and water erosion, natural wind and sound barriers, increased forest product availability, availability, increased diversity of wildlife, reduction of in-stream sedimentation, and improved water water quality. The residents of the Ganaraska and surrounding watersheds realize these benefits on a wider scale plus the less tangible benefits of living in an ecologically healthier, more diversified diversified and balanced watershed. Brief history of the program. The Conservation Services Program was developed in the mid-1970's. Five projects were undertaken in 1977 by the General Superintendent. During this time the Province of Ontario was encouraging 'grass roots' programs and Conservation Services Programs across Ontario were receiving strong provincial support. Funding was available to hire a Conservation Services Technician Technician for the summer of 1978 and to make it a one year contract contract until the fall of 1979. It then became a permanent position. position. Since 1977 over 250 private landowners have had projects completed on their property with thousands of wildlife shrubs and hundreds of thousands of trees being planted. Kilometres of streambank have been stabilized against erosion. erosion. Innumerable people have benefited from information provided on topics ranging from nuisance animal control to bird house design and placement to tree disease identification identification and control. With the shift of the current Provincial government's priority priority away from the environment towards the elimination of the deficit, the Conservation Services Program has had to modify its approach to project delivery. Stakeholders in the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority can benefit from almost 20 years of experience in program delivery. Administrative Administrative and technical support systems are in place. Experienced Experienced Conservation Authority staff can carry out the most cost-effective program delivery available today. The future. Conservation Services will continue to provide landowners landowners with cost-effective projects. With emphasis on informing the public of the value of a healthy environment and the need for stakeholders to take the initiative in undertaking sound stewardship practices, the Conservation Services Program will be working with landowners well into the next century. Landowners interested in discussing a reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, erosion control project should contact the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority at (905) 885-8173 or Fax (905) 885-9824. Continued from Page 1 Hope area. It was to be found in many other developing parts of Canada. This led the Federal and Ontario governments to collaborate. collaborate. in a survey of the situation following a conference held in Guelph, Ontario early in 1941. While this watershed is relatively small as compared to many similar problem areas in Canada, its selection as the model upon which this ground breaking report would be based gave it an importance much greater than its size would seem to warrant. The report, when completed, became became a much needed research paper into Canadian conservation conservation procedures. One of this report's most far reaching recommendations called for the creation of a permanent managing Authority to oversee the rehabilitation of depleted areas and to maintain maintain the integrity of the watershed into the future. Thus, in 1946, the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority Authority was established. Important contributions to this document were made not only by officials from many Federal and Provincial government government departments, but also by numerous residents living close to the project, among whom were Edwin Wilson of Garden Hill and Mrs. F.A. Wheeler of Elizabethville. Mr. V.B. Blake was not only an Ontario Government employee employee assigned to this project, he was also a major landowner near Garden Hill. Blake, who had already initiated initiated an extensive reforestation project on his own property assumed the responsibility for preparing much of the report's report's data on the history of the area dealing with the mills, dam sites, roads and settlement patterns. The overall responsibility for the report had been placed in the hands of Dr. A. H. Richardson. The passing of the Conservation Authorities Act by the Ontario government not only verified the creation of the Conservation Authority, it also gave official sanction to proposals to establish a 20,000 acre forest, encourage sound forest management and agricultural practices, initiate flood reduction programmes, create recreational centres, initiate tree planting and conduct surveys and research. In the half-century since the act was passed, over 4,000 hectares (10,500 acres) have been purchased and much of it reforested. This area straddling the Oak Ridges Moraine became became known as the Ganaraska Forest. The recreation of this woodland not only protects the headwaters of the river, sharply retarding surface water runoff, it has also greatly eased the flooding potential in Port Hope. In total over 352,000 trees have been planted throughout the watershed. Many have been planted in partnership with private landowners. The Authority has also planted more than 30,000 shrubs providing shelter for wildlife. Numerous other parcels of land have been purchased over the years. One of the main purposes is to protect wetlands wetlands on a permanent basis. This land acquisition and the development of forested areas areas has created public recreation opportunities such as hiking, hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, skiing, snowmobiling, swimming, picnicking and fishing. More than 3,000 students visit the Ganaraska Forest Centre each year participating in the education programmes. programmes. Numerous flood and erosion control capital projects have been constructed over the years. The most noteworthy of these is the deepening of the Ganaraska River channel through downtown Port Hope, carried out at a cost of more than one million dollars. This was in response to a severe flood that occurred in 1980. A secure flood warning system has been developed, designed designed to provide municipalities in the watershed with advanced advanced flood advisories. The 1990's will be a decade of change for the Ganaraska Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority. Provincial government cutbacks have already led to "a major employee layoff and to the rationalization of programmes. This has in turn led to an increased involvement of volunteers from the local communities communities and hopefully will result in heightened interest and activity in the field of the conservation of our natural heritage. 1000 BIoop St. E. Oshawa 433-1684 433-0211 SVELTRi Croup "QuêHty hit t**n out foundtllon (or owr JOy--r» " Builder of Quality Homes for over 30 years 623-4172 Newcastle Recycling Limited BILL HALE • OWNERS • JIM HALE Dealers in Scrap Metals, Cars and Trucks We Have Car & Truck Parts For Sale R.R. #1, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 Tel: (905) 786-2046 Fax: (905) 786-2781 Peterborough Metal Company Ltd.