We are Hiring
Over 10 summer jobs available!
New PD Day and March Break Day Camps at Grey Sauble Conservation!
Registration for our new PD & March Break Day Camps is now open. Don’t miss out on signing your kids up for outdoor fun and adventure!
50 Million Tree Program Alive and Kicking
By MJ Kettleborough
Forests Ontario has announced the relaunch of its 50 Million Tree Program (50 MTP). The 50 MTP is a large-scale tree planting program for land and property owners with the goal of increasing forest cover in Ontario.
“The 50 MTP is back and more accessible than ever,” said Rob Keen, CEO of non-profit charity, Forests Ontario. “The new, expanded criteria opens the program to more land and property owners, meaning more trees in the ground. It’s a win-win for landowners, who save on tree planting costs, and for the environment.”
The new program is now open to more property owners. Under the old program, property owners needed to dedicate at least 1 hectare to tree planting in order to qualify for subsidies. Now anyone with the space to plant at least 500 trees can qualify.
“It’s a grand thing,” said Ron Klages, who estimates he has planted close to half a million trees on the 900-acre farm he owns with his wife Georgina about 25 km south of Owen Sound. “This program has certainly helped. A lot of people are taking advantage of it.” Grey County is the No. 1 destination for trees under the 50 MTP, with over four million trees planted since 2008.
Forests offer many benefits: forests attract wildlife, absorb rainwater, prevent erosion and sequester carbon. Trees also have big benefits for farmers: for example, bee keepers can keep their hives happy by planting Basswood and Willow trees. Farmers can protect their crops from wind by planting conifers in fence rows. Trees also absorb odours from farms and treelines along farm roads and driveways can help reduce drifting snow. Trees around pastures provide welcome shade and shelter from the wind for cattle, horses, sheep or goats. Some farmers are also investing in hybrid Poplar for biofuel, Black Walnut for future hardwood, and Hazelnuts as a cash crop.
Beginning in 2008, Forests Ontario has facilitated the planting of more than 29 million trees through the 50 MTP; this achievement has been made possible by the hard work of over 80 dedicated partners, such as conservation authorities, stewardship groups and First Nations. More than 5,000 landowners have planted trees, yielding 15,000 hectares of new forest and sequestering over 126,000 tonnes of carbon. The 50 MTP also supports approximately 300 full-time seasonal rural forestry jobs.
The forests planted to date under the 50 MTP now generate over $83-million in annual ecosystem services such as pollination, recreation, aesthetics and water supply regulation.
Applications for the program are now up on the Forests Ontario website.
For more information about tree planting through the 50 Million Tree Program
Rita McGee
Forestry Technician
Grey Sauble Conservation Authority
W: 519 376-3076 ext. 276
Grey Sauble Conservation Authority Pleased That The Role of Conservation Authorities in Ontario’s Flood Management is Recognized
Grey Sauble Conservation Authority Pleased That The Role of Conservation Authorities in Ontario’s Flood Management is Recognized
2019 Flood Advisor Report
OWEN SOUND (November 29, 2019) The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority is pleased that the report released today by the Province’s Special Advisor on Flooding recognizes the critical role that conservation authorities (CAs) play in flood management in Ontario.
Flood management in Ontario is a shared responsibility among municipalities, emergency management officials, the Province and conservation authorities. This report recognizes the value of the conservation authority model, noting that “the development of the modern floodplain policy in Ontario, the watershed approach, the conservation authority model, and the flood standards have been extremely effective at reducing flood risks.” And states that, “These policies have been credited with keeping losses associated with flooding in Ontario lower than losses seen in other Canadian provinces… and will be increasingly valuable in protecting Ontarians from flooding and other natural hazards.”
“Review of the 66 recommendations provided in the report illustrates the importance of a collaborative approach to flood management in Ontario, including conservation authorities,” said Tim Lanthier, Interim General Manager of Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. “We are hopeful that the results of this report will help to re-establish and solidify a collaborative working relationship between all levels of government to reduce flood risk in Ontario.”
“We’re very pleased to see a recommendation in this report that the Province maintain, at a minimum, the current level of funding to support flood related programs,” said Lanthier. “However, with the recent 50 per cent reduction to conservation authorities’ provincial transfer payments for the natural hazards program, the Province should be looking to increase natural hazard management spending to at least reinstate what has been lost.”
Following up from a difficult spring flood season in many parts of Ontario that stretched into the summer months, the Province appointed Doug McNeil as Special Advisor on Flooding to conduct an independent review of flood management and the 2019 flood events in Ontario and provide advice to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Mr. McNeil examined Ontario’s current flood management framework, exploring the various roles of agencies, such as conservation authorities, who are involved in reducing flood risk, as well as reviewing the policies and technical guidance which makes up the policy framework for flood management in Ontario.
Conservation Authorities reduce flood risk by relying on a watershed management approach.
“The core mandate of conservation authorities is the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources,” added Lanthier. “For decades, conservation authorities throughout Ontario have been operating under this mandate, on a watershed-scale, to manage flood and erosion risk and to build better watershed resilience for the safety and benefit of our communities.”
In addition to operating $3.8 billion worth of flood control infrastructure, CAs also bring added protection and benefits through various watershed management programs and activities such as:
Conservation authorities across the province are recommending to the Province that these kinds of foundational watershed management activities be captured in the Conservation Authorities Act regulations which are currently being developed.
The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority will be working with Conservation Ontario to review the Flood Advisor’s report in more detail and look forward to further consultation and collaboration with the Province in the coming months.
30
Additional Resources
Ontario’s Special Advisor on Flooding Report to Government Report:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/independent-review-2019-flood-events-ontario